Free the Earth and Sky
by Catann985
Summary: The Breach, a massive tear in the Veil that allows multitudes of demons to escape from the Fade into the world. Mass relays function by creating a virtually mass-free "corridor" of space-time between each other. But would happen if the Breach was still active in the Fade when Shepard fired the Crucible?
1. An End is Also a Beginning

Rekkah Cadash looked up at the Breach as it swirled and twisted in the night sky. Haven was silent around her, only those on sentry duty and a few servants still awake at this late hour. In the morning she would take the senior Templars to the temple summit and attempt once more to close the Breach. Solas and Leliana were disappointed in her choice, but it was ultimately a matter of politics. She knew that perception was more important than reality in the public mind and to the majority of nobles and commoners alike, the Templar Order meant safety and security. She needed that perception to extend to the Inquisition. Plus there was the fact that the mages had freely chosen to join with Tevinter, which just reinforced the fear the commoners felt for them. She could not help everyone, and sometimes, events simply had to play out as they were meant to.

Plus, she just didn't trust mages she didn't know. And anyone who willingly served Tevinter was not someone she should ally with. Never mind what her mages thought. Besides, she was getting mage recruits who had quietly left Redcliffe the moment the gates had opened. _They_ at least had the sense the Stone gave them to know when to leave a sinking ship.

"You're wrong you know." Rekkah just about jumped out her skin as Cole's voice came out of the darkness behind her. Turing she looked up at the . . . boy? spirit?. . that had helped her at Therinfal Redoubt. "They were scared, desperate, and then the Magister came. He promised to fix everything. But he lied and nothing is fixed, still sundered, shattered."

"Somethings can't be fixed Cole." She reached up and absently straightened his hat. Cole looked at her with his bright sky blue eyes. There was such innocence to this boy that she had to fight the constant urge to mother him. Rekkah had never mothered anyone in her life, but with Cole it was like an itch that was begging to be scratched. She studied him absently; he needed a bath and a haircut. As soon as she could get him to hold still long enough she would get him into a tub. Maybe she could get Varric to help . . .

"Why do I need a bath? And I like my hair."

Rekkah laughed. "Everyone needs a bath now and then. It won't kill you. And your hair needs trimmed so it won't be in your eyes."

Cole frowned. "But my hair is on my head, not on my eyes."

She grinned up at the boy. "Ask Varric, he can explain about proper male hygiene."

Rekkah turned to go back to her cabin, Cole, still confused about bathing and haircuts, trailing behind her. They had only gone a few steps when he stopped and looked up at the swirling Breach. "Somethings happening. Somethings changing"

"Cole? What is it?" Rekkah turned and looked at the sleeping village around her. "I don't see any. . ." Rekkah's words died in her throat as the light coming from the Breach darkened and changed from its normal soft green to a deep almost blood red glow. The once unending green was gone. In its place, the red seemed to pulse like a pounding heart, and all Rekkah could think was _Shit, now what?!_

"Here, but not here. A step outside time and to the right of the stars." Cole's voice drifted through the red tinged darkness that covered the sleeping village. "Bleeding, burning, broken. I'm sorry, so sorry. Forgive me." The dwarf looked up at the spirit boy sharply. He didn't appear to see her. His eyes focused on something hidden from mortal sight. "EDI, I'm sorry, so sorry. Have to stop them, have to stop _it_. Legion, forgive me for what I must do. I'm sorry. So very sorry."

He looked down at her suddenly, his normally calm blue eyes agitated underneath the brim of his hat. "She's hurt! We have to help her!"

"Help who Cole?" Rekkah reached for him, to try and shake some sense into the spirit boy when he vanished. "Damn it!"

"Herald!" she turned to the sentry running towards her, his face ashen under his helm. "Herald what's going on? What should we do?"

"First, stop shouting, you'll wake the village. Second, go and get Commander Cullen and Seeker Pentaghast, quietly, and have them join me at the gate."

"Right away Herald." He sped off towards the barracks, casting looks up at the sky as he went. Thankful, most were asleep at this hour, and those awake where indoors. _And those not indoors are drunk off their asses._ Rekkah snorted as she walked past two merchants, or maybe they were soldiers, singing off key as they staggered out of the Tavern. She ducked inside and looked around for anyone sober enough to fight. Bull sat on a bench next to the fire talking quietly with Varric. Both had tankards in their hands, but Rekkah knew that neither dwarf nor qunari were the sort to drink themselves into the ground. Sera, on the other hand, was passed out underneath a nearby table. _She snores worse than a drunken bronto._

"Hey, boss. How are you?" Bull started to smile but stopped and stood up when he got a good look at her face. "What's going on?"

"Get your armor and gather the Chargers, we need to head to the temple." Both men looked at her, then got to their feet.

Varric tossed some coins onto the table, and picking Bianca up from where she rested against his chair, followed them out the door. He stopped abruptly just outside the door and sighed heavily "Not again. First the hole in the sky and now its glowing red! Why can't we have normal problems? Like dragons?" He continued to grumble under his breath about all the "stupid shit" that kept happening to him and why was it always glowing red? He didn't stop even as Solas joined the group.

"Herald, something has greatly disturbed the Fade. Even as I walked within the Fade, it trembled and tore around me. Do you have any knowledge of what is . . ." he quieted, noticing the change in the Breach. "I see. You go to investigate?"

"Yes, I'm just waiting for Cassandra and Cullen to join us."

"Then I shall meet you at the gate." He turned back to his cabin, casting one long look at the red sky before turning away.

Rekkah paused at her own cabin to don her armor and gather her twin hand axes. She knew that it was a cliché for a dwarf to use an axe, but she had always preferred them over daggers or short swords. Grabbing a few grenades and poisons, you never knew what the Breach would throw at you; she set out for the gate.

They were waiting for her. Bull had the Chargers gathered together and stood slightly in front of them, while Varric, Solas, Cullen and Cassandra spoke in soft tones. All kept looking up at the Breach, still pulsing out its red light. "Everyone's here good." She looked at all of them then spoke to Cullen. "I'm taking Solas, Varric, Bull and Cassandra, along with Chargers, up to investigate the temple. Just before the Breach turned red Cole said and I quote 'she's hurt.' Who exactly is hurt I don't know. How they're connected to that" she jerked her head in the direction of the Breach, "I also don't know. This is why I'm taking the Chargers along with my normal group."

"Understood Herald. I'll make sure nothing gets in or out of Haven in your absence." Rekkah turned to head up the path when Solas and Dalish clutched their heads and cried out. Cullen and Cassandra followed a heartbeat later. The others were affected to a lesser degree, wincing in pain but not incapacitated. The only ones not affected were Varric, Rocky and Rekkah herself. _Dwarves don't dream_.

The last blinding pulse of red seemed to last an age before it faded to the normal green that they had come to expect. Slowly the humans, elves and qunari straightened and looked at each other. "Whatever has happened has now passed." Solas' voice was tinged with the shadow of lingering pain. "However it would still be wise to check on the temple."

"Take a raven with you." Leliana emerged from the shadows around the gate. She had one of her birds perched on her arm. "If need be, just set him loose and he will fly back to the Chantry. If there is no message, we will know there is trouble and send reinforcements."

Rekkah nodded her understanding and Dalish came forward and accepted the raven from Leliana. "Alight people lets go before anything else happens."

"Chargers! Move out!"

* * *

Cole appeared in front them at the entrance to the temple. "I can't reach her." He flickered between Rekkah, Varric and Solas. "Burned, bleeding, broken breaths. She's dying!"

Solas managed to grab onto the spirit boy and forced him to be still. "Cole. Be calm and tell us where this person is." He softened his voice. "We will help, but we have to know _who_ and _where_ first."

Cole stood still and then. "Yes, calm. I will be calm. I can help better calm." He pointed towards the center of the temple. "She is Shepard. They know her. She scared that which feared nothing. She stopped the illusive one and then the she fell from the stars. It was very angry with her."

"Not helping Kid."

Rekkah walked cautiously through the remains of the temple. She hadn't returned here since she had first attempted to seal the Breach. Time had not improved it. The remains of the stone foundations were still struck through with streaks of fade green. There were more jutting spires of red lyrium growing from the ground and the air seemed heavy, almost too heavy to take in.

And there in the center of the temple was a jumbled pile of metal and stone. The stone looked to be part of the temple that had broken off when the metal had struck the ground. The metal was strange. It looked like steel, but she had never seen so much in one place. _We could equip the whole of our forces with all the steel that's here._ They would just have to melt it down and reforge it.

Cole flickered from Solas' side to a point next to a massive metal beam. "Here. She's here. Hurry. Keep your barrier up! Make it instinct! The Gunny's voice in my mind. Hold it tight as death rises above me. Where did it come from? Instinct as I breathe cold emptiness." Sky blue eyes met Rekkah's as she reached the spirit's side. "She can't hold the barrier. Gunny Ellison will be disappointed in her."

Surprisingly it was Bull who spoke. "She held out long enough for help to reach her. That's the only thing that matters." He surveyed the wreckage, "Right let's move this. Krem, Grim, Rocky give me a hand." The four men placed themselves around the beam and at a nod from Bull, lifted the massive piece of debris. Solas conjured at wisp and directed it to light the interior of the rubble while Stitches stood by, ready to help as he could.

Rekkah and Varric, as the shortest there, quickly knelt and reached into space where the battered form of a woman lay like a broken doll. Each grabbed at the closest body part they could reach and pulled her from the wreckage. As soon as they were clear, the Chargers slowly lowered the beam so that it wouldn't roll onto the already injured woman.

"Maker! How is she even alive?" Cassandra voiced the question all were thinking. The woman was human, wearing a strange armor unlike any they had seen before. It was blackened and pitted from fire and Stone only knew what else. Parts seemed to have been melted together. Her face was surprisingly free of burns, leaving Rekkah to believe that she had lost her helm at some point. Blood seeped from wounds unseen under the armor.

"I've seen corpses dead a week that looked better." Bull said as Stitches and Solas started to work on the woman. "And what kind of armor is that?"

"We'll find out later." Rekkah looked at the injured woman, at the massive pile of metal debris, and then to the Breach in the sky. "Solas can you and Stitches get her stable enough to be transported back to Haven?"

The apostate didn't look up as he ran glowing hands down the woman's body. "We can Herald. It will take some time though."

"Send the raven. Have Cullen send a stretcher along with another healer up here. Cassandra I want you to stay with them. Cole spoke of a barrier, so it sounds like she's a mage. I don't want her lashing out with her power; keep her drained if you must, but keep our people safe."

"The rest of us will search the temple grounds. Make sure nothing else came from the Breach."


	2. Waking Up to Ash and Dust

She was in the forest again. Her steps were silent as she walked over the leaves and deadfall that littered the forest floor. She couldn't see anything but trees and the mist that shrouded them. Ashes fell around her, covering everything in gray and shadow. She was alone. Nothing living moved in the twilight darkness that enveloped her.

But she could hear whispers on the wind. If she concentrated she could make out individual voices and words; Mordin's high tenor _"Someone else might have gotten it wrong."_ Kaidan's calm voice " _It's done, Commander. Get Williams and get the hell out of here."_ Thane's thoughtful harmonics, _"Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depths, I ask forgiv_ eness." The Illusive Man's forceful words _"Don't turn your back on me, Shepard! I made you; I brought you back from the dead!"_ Legion's mechanical words with their impossible underlay of emotion _"Does this unit have a soul?"_ And the ever present sound of her own name echoing on the night air _"Shepard."_

It was always the same dream. And the one voice she strained to hear, the one she longed and feared to hear was never the one she heard. The dual tone of a certain sniper was one of the few missing from the chorus that called to her from the mists. She wasn't certain if she was relieved she couldn't hear his voice, or if she mourned its absence. She had meant it when she had told him she would wait for him. If it took an eternity, she would wait. _Now if only I could find the damn bar._

She continued through the woods, Mordin's voice echoing in a strangely cheerful counterpoint to the gloom that surrounded her.

 _I am the very model of a scientist salarian_  
 _I've studied species turian, asari and batarian_  
 _I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology)_  
 _Because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology)_  
 _My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian..._  
 _I am the very model of a scientist salarian!_

She hummed along with his song, remembering how EDI would broadcast his singing throughout the _Normandy_ when she thought it would boast the crews' morale. And it did. Everyone from Joker in the cockpit to Jack hiding down in engineering would stop what they were doing to listen to him sing his Gilbert and Sullivan songs.

Mordin's voice drifted away to be replaced by Miranda's crisp accents. _"Damn it Wilson! She's not ready yet. Give her the sedative! Shepard - don't try to move. Just lie still. Try to stay calm."_ She remembered this. Remembered the pain of waking too soon from death. She didn't like remembering that moment of waking. The pain of air in new lungs, of muscle exposed to air and the feeling of her body not being quite right. Of not fitting in her own skin. She could still her Miranda's voice shouting at her. _"Wake up Commander. Shepard do you hear me? Get out of that bed now – this facility is under attack."_ She could hear explosions now. Screams and shouting and what sounded like metal striking metal. _I trying to Miranda, but I have to find the boy first._ The dream never ended until she found the boy, watched him burn.

The voice changed again. Now it belonged to someone unknown. "Wake up. You need to wake up now. We need you. You have to wake up!" A young man's voice, "He's very angry that she took his Templars. It hurts to listen to him. You need to wake up!"

Shepard opened her eyes.

She stared unseeing at the rough wooded ceiling above her, trying to figure out where the hell she was, and why wasn't she dead? She remembered Anderson, The Illusive Man using some form of mind control over her, forcing her to shoot her commanding officer. _I shot my friend._ It might have been The Illusive Man's command, but she had been the one to pull the trigger. Shepard closed her eyes against the pain, put it away. She would deal with the fallout over Anderson later. Right now she had to find out where she was, where her squad was, and what had happened after she had blacked out.

Opening her eyes again she turned her head. She was on a rough bed, made of actual wood, in a room with two other beds. Her armor was gone, as was her heavy pistol. Instead she was wearing what looked like beige pajamas that she would not have been caught dead in, had she any say in the matter. _At least it's not a hospital gown._ That was the only good thing about them.

Something that sounded suspiciously like an explosion sounded from outside of the building she was in. And of course she would wake up in another war zone. Cursing in three languages, Shepard got herself to her feet, taking stock of her injuries as she did so.

Her ribs were sore, and she could feel a pressure bandage wrapped around her torso. Her left arm had been placed in a sling, and she could tell from the way her vision wavered that she was suffering from a concussion. All in all, she was doing better than she had any right to be. She could remember the pain of a dislocated shoulder, the screaming agony of broken ribs as she struggled to get a full breath. And she was fairly certain a Reaper had exploded on top of her. Again. _So how the hell am I still alive, let alone walking?_

Her balance unsteady, she made her way out the (wooden!) door and into a large open hall. It reminded her of the church that her grandparents had taken her to when she had stayed with them on Earth. She had both loved and hated those visits. Loved because she was able to explore the Texas landscape with her cousins, and hated because she had never really lost the stationborn's distrust of open sky. She pushed the memories away, something else to deal with later, and looked at the people streaming in through large double doors at the other end of the hall.

Civilians, some with children huddled around them. _Goddamn it. I thought all the civilians had been evacuated out of London!_ Shepard pushed her way through the crowd of people. She needed to see what was going on, find the local commander, and get back to her ship. What she saw when she finally reached the door made her wonder just where in hell she was. _Toto, I don't think we're in London anymore._


	3. Ashes, Ashes

Rekkah watched the people of Haven celebrating the closing of the Breach. There was a great deal of dancing, and a whole lot of drinking. Mages and Templars both had put aside their hatred and celebrated together. It was nice, but she knew that it wouldn't last. Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, they would remember that they hated each other. But for now the peace was holding. "Are you well My Lady?"

She smiled up at the bearded human as Blackwall ambled over to stand beside her. Rekkah liked the warden. He had the weathered look of a man that had seen his share of grief and battle, but he also smiled and laughed freely. He made her feel . . . something. She didn't want to look too closely at her own feelings. It was too soon yet for anything to come of it, and she had learned through painful experience that trying to force her feelings just didn't work. So for now she enjoyed his company and his dry comments. She had also given up on getting him call her by name. _At least he doesn't call me Herald._ "Well enough Warden."

"You should be celebrating. You closed the Breach, you've brought peace, a temporary peace for sure but it is peace none the less, to the Hinterlands. What is it that troubles you?"

"It just feels too easy." She looked up at the scared night sky. At least it hadn't turned red when she had closed it. "If I had been the one to cause this, I would've had defenses in place to keep others from meddling with my work." A slight smile quirked her lips, "Of course if I had killed the Divine, no one would have been the wiser. The old woman would have simply died in her sleep, as old women are prone to do."

Blackwall laughed quietly. "Then it is a good thing that you're on our side."

"Is it?" She looked back at the dancers. "I've always worked from the shadows. I'm an assassin, a good one. I take pride in the fact that only my targets have died on my blade when on assignment." Rekkah watched Blackwall's expression from the corner of her eye as she spoke. She had never hidden what she was from any in the Inner Circle, as the core group of the Inquisition was coming to be called. Better to be honest in what she was than to hide it. _Cause that would bite me on the ass when least expected. My fellow Carta Clans would have a field day._ "I've stood as my Grandfather's left hand since my uncle was killed in the Blight. The shadows have been my home for most of my life, and now I'm forced to stand in the bright sunlight, called the Herald for a religion I don't even follow."

He was silent for a time, watching the dancer below. "How old were you when you uncle died then?"

"Twenty three."

"You were doing Leliana's job at such a young age?"

"Essentially. Though Leliana and I have different methods. She has her contacts and I have mine. Between the two of us, Varric, and Sera, the Inquisition has eyes and ears at almost every level of society." She paused as a loud burst of laughter came from the dancers. "I've also been in touch with a mercenary band of my own choosing. They're finishing up a job in the Planasene Forest, but should be free to join us next month."

"Why hire another mercenary band when you've already got the Chargers?"

Below her Minaeve was dancing with Adan, and that grumpy bastard was actually smiling and laughing. Rekkah hadn't known that he knew how. "Two reasons. One, as much as I like Bull, I don't trust him. He is qunari. He will _always_ put the Qun before anything else. He all but told me as much when I hired him."

"Then why did you hire him?"

"Because as long as I know who the Ben-Hassrath has spying on us, I can control what information they receive. And while he's been honest so far in his dealings with us, I will never fully trust him." Silver eyes met blue in the dark "and The Iron Bull knows that."

Blackwall was quite for a moment. "And the second reason?"

"It's a matter of trust again. I trust this band of mercenaries. I've worked with them before. The group that I'm hiring is led by a good friend. And they aren't part of the Chantry." Her voice was a quite whisper as she said this. "Cassandra and Leliana, for all that they worked to distance themselves from the Chantry, are still seen as the Right and Left Hands of the Divine. Cullen might have left the Templar Order, but as Bull said, it left its mark on him. Those people out there," she pointed to the dancers laughing around the bonfire, "They still see us as part of the Chantry, no matter what the Chantry itself says. I want people around me that aren't part of that religion. That don't have the weight of what the Chantry taught them to believe when they were young."

"Not everyone in the Inquisition follows the Chantry."

"No, but most of you do. You swear by Andraste and the Maker." Rekkah smiled up at the burly human. "Of all the Inner Circle, the only ones that don't follow the Chantry in some way or form are Cole, Solas Bull, and I." She laughed. "Poor Josephine. I thought she would have heart attack when I told her I believed in the Stone." Her smile turned bitter. "Even if I am a topsider."

They were interrupted when alarm bells started to sound. Warden and dwarf turned together and scanned the surrounding hillsides, looking for the threat. "There." Blackwall pointed to the main pass out of the valley. Torches flowed out of the pass and into the valley like water down a streambed, there seemed to be no end to them.

"Forces approaching! To arms!" Cullen shouted as he ran past them. Cole appeared next to her, his eyes wild under the brim of his hat.

"He's coming! The Elder One is coming. Do you know him? He knows you."

"Cole what are you talking about? Who is this Elder One?" The spirit boy didn't answer, he just looked frightened.

"He's very angry that you took his Templars. I don't like him." He looked towards the Chantry. "Maybe she can help. She scared the fearless ones; maybe she can scare him too." With those words the spirit boy faded back into shadow.

"Stone forsake him! Cole!"

"It's no use My Lady. Come, let us to the gate."

* * *

"Cullen?" Cassandra had beaten them to the gate. With her were Vivienne and Josephine. The rest of the Inner Circle had also gathered around the gate. All were armed and armored, ready for battle. The only one missing was Leliana. Rekkah assumed she was with her scouts. Or plotting something.

"One watch guard reporting. It's a massive force, with the bulk still over the mountain."

"Under what banner?" Josephine's voice wavered with fear. Rekkah understood. The ambassador was a civilian through and through, she had no place on this kind of battlefield.

"None."

"None?!" Such complete outrage and disbelief in that one word. Poor Josephine. Their opponent was not following the proper, _civilized,_ rules of war.

Outside the gate, there were three harsh cracks of light and sound. Then "If someone could open this, I'd appreciate it." Rekkah and Cullen looked at each other, and pushed open the gates. The others spread out, ready to repel any intruders that slipped past them.

In the clearing in front of the gate, Dorian Pavus, the mage they had met in the Redcliffe Chantry, knelt down in a circle of dead men. Most were dressed in ornate white robes and armor, but she could also pick out a few Templar uniforms adorned with red lyrium. Rekkah wasn't all that surprised. It would have been too simple to have gotten them all at Therinfal Redoubt.

"Well I'm here to warn you. Fashionably late I'm afraid." The Altus pushed himself to his feet. Exhaustion radiated out from him. He was on his last legs and would have to rest soon, whether he wanted to or not. You could only push your body so far before it gave out on you.

He faced Rekkah, relief on his handsome face. "There you are. I came to tell you what happened with the mages at Redcliffe. You're not going to like it. They are under the command of the Venatori. In service to something called the Elder One. With him is Calpernia. She commands the Venatori. I don't know who the man in the red armor is. "Dorian pointed dramatically towards the pass, he probably couldn't help it. He was drama personified. "There, the Elder one."

"They were already marching on Haven. I risked my life to get here first." Behind the three on the rise came more and more Venatori, with some Red Templars mixed in among them.

"Cullen give me a plan. Anything." She looked up commander. Rekkah was under no illusion. This was going to be a bad fight.

He looked at her, then towards the trebuchets that ringed the town. "Haven is no fortress. If we are withstand this monster, we must control the battle. Get out there and hit that force with everything you can." Rekkah nodded and turned towards the others as Cullen rallied his forces.

"Madame de Fer, I leave you in charge of our mage forces." Most were former circle mages, use to taking direction from senior enchanters. She would also have the best knowledge of what they could accomplish as a group.

"But of course darling."

"Sera, Varric. Get on the wall. Provide cover fire for us and the trebuchets as you can. If the walls are breached, engage at will, but get back to the Chantry. Bull, gather your Chargers and support Cullen. But first, get the villagers into the Chantry. It's the strongest building in Haven." She met his one remaining eye. Bull knew as well as she did that the Chantry was a deathtrap in the making, but they had no other choice. "Make sure Josephine and Leliana are there before you join Cullen."

"On it Boss."

"Everyone else with me. We need to hit them, and hit them hard."

"Mages! You! You have sanction to engage them. That is Samson. He will not make it easy." Cullen's parade ground voice reached from the gates up to the Chantry doors. "Soldiers! Gather the villagers. Fortify and watch for advance forces. Inquisition! With the Herald. For your lives. For all of us!"


	4. We All Fall Down

Shepard stared out over the medieval village spread before her. She had never seen one before of course, but it looked like what she thought a medieval village should look like. The buildings were all made of wood or stone. There was what she thought were called thatches on the roofs and she could have sworn she saw what looked like a stone well of all things in the center of the square. It would have been vid perfect if it hadn't been on fire.

She moved out of the way of a heavy influx of villagers headed towards the church behind her. _Why the hell was I in a goddamn church?_ She pushed the thought away. She would find out the how and the why later. What mattered now . . . _is that a harvester?_ She had to deal with a goddamn harvester now?! What the hell! At least it looked like the normal variety and not the reaperized version that she had come to loathe.

Shepard reached absently for the Arc Projector she normally carried on her harness, only to find empty space. That's right. She had lost most of her kit during that last desperate run. _Alright I can handle this_. All she had to do was make sure the civilians inside stayed safe. The soldiers in charge of defending seemed to be doing well enough. At least they had a decent wall around this place that time had forgotten.

"What are you doing up?! You should still be in bed!" A human woman stopped next to her. Shepard judged her to be late twenties to early thirties. Pretty underneath the pinched expression and fear clouding her face. She had no visible weapons and wore a ruffled shirt and dress and had impractical shoes. She was a civilian and no threat at the moment. "Come back inside the Chantry. The Commander and the Herald know what they're doing." The woman reached to take Shepard's good arm, trying to lead her back into the building she'd just left.

Shepard set her feet and refused to be moved. She wasn't going anywhere until she knew more about the situation. And she certainly wasn't in the mood to be _handled_ like a damn politician. "Who are you and where the hell am I." She ducked instinctively as the harvester flew overhead, a fireball taking out part of a nearby wall as it flew past by them. "Never mind. You can tell me later. Get your ass inside."

"But" The woman hesitated, torn between her desire to drag the still injured biotic to safety and obeying the command implicit in Shepard's voice.

"NOW" Shepard shoved the woman towards the open door as a group of men dressed in the most ridiculous white cloth robes and pointy armor she had ever seen came though the breach in the wall. She pulled a barrier over herself and made her way towards the men. There were a few defenders trying to keep the remaining villagers safe as they ran towards the stone church. A man in an elaborate red and white robe, a priest maybe, pushed a woman with a toddler in her arms out of the way as one of the attackers raised a sword to cut her down.

Shepard reached for her biotics; the energy answered her call as it always had. She made a tossing motion towards the attacker, and the man was suddenly thrown hard against the stone wall of a nearby building. A few other attackers were treated to the gravity distortion of a singularity, holding them suspended and helpless two meters above the ground.

The group of villagers, instead of running like sensible civilians trapped in a war-zone, just stood there, mouths gaping wide. "Move your asses' people! I can't keep this up all night!" She threw a warp at her singularity, causing a localized explosion as the two energies combined.

"You're awake! You're helping!" Only familiarity with Kasumi and her tricks kept Shepard from jumping out of her skin as a young man appeared next to her. He wore a large brimmed leather hat that obscured his features, tattered leather clothes and boots that had seen better decades. Bright blue eyes peered at her from underneath the brim of his hat. "I was afraid that you would stay forever in the forest, lost, lonely and longing, but you woke up! I'm so happy you woke up!" He looked towards the attackers, a sudden scowl on his face "I don't like them." His expression turned savage as he snarled a challenge at them. "Can you see me? You will see me!" and with that he disappeared into nothingness.

Shepard stared at the spot where the kid had been, nonplussed by the whole interaction. _And I thought Legion had a strange introduction._ She turned her attention back to the task at hand. The priest had shaken off his shock and was herding his group of civilians into the church behind her. One of the women paused and stepped up next to Shepard, a sword in her hand.

"You keep doing whatever it is you're doing mage. I'll keep the blighters off you." Mage? What the hell was she talking about? Did they call their biotics mages here?

"You know how to use that thing?" She dropped a stasis field on a new group of enemies. These wore what looked like metal plate armor with red glowing crystals clumped in random clusters all over it. The strange kid dropped out of stealth, stabbed two of the red attackers in the back, and vanished once more. It was like fighting with Kasumi, only slightly more confusing without her HUD.

"I'm Threnn. I served under Teryn Loghain during the Blight" Threnn parried a blow from another red attacker. She kicked him back to give herself room and swung her sword, slicing deep into the man's exposed side. He fell down with a gurgle, blood pooling under him.

"Don't know who or what that is. You can tell me later. Name's Shepard." She danced back, an arrow bouncing off her barrier. Another warp, followed by a scream that cut off as the kid sliced the archer's throat. Shockwave to break up the enemy formation that was advancing on the square. Finally reinforcements bothered to show up in the form of a group of fighters in mismatched armor. Shepard pointed at the group tearing into the attackers from the rear. "You know these guys Threnn?" Stasis field on a guy wielding a shield bigger than he was. A krogan sized humanoid with horns coming out of his head hit him with a hammer, smashing him flat.

"Those are the Chargers. They're on our side." The Chargers worked together like a well-oiled machine. Each knew where the other was in the general melee. Shepard was suddenly, sickeningly, aware that Garrus wasn't there to watch her back. She controlled the urge to glance over her shoulder. Threnn was at her six, but it wasn't the same as having her own squad backing her up. A shout and the thrust of a sword that scored a hit across her thigh brought her back to the now. She threw her attacker towards a man across the square using sword and shield to his advantage. He acknowledged her by lifting his weapon high, before bringing it down on the fallen man.

Threnn and the kid were doing their best to keep the attackers off Shepard, but the fight was beginning to take its toll on the biotic. She could feel her ribs protesting as she moved around the square. She had taken her left arm out of the sling to better control her biotics, and the shoulder joint was screaming at her with every movement. Her vision was wavering; her head pounding like a krogan was tap dancing inside her skull. She was pushing her limits and Shepard knew it. And the waves of attackers just kept coming. It was the fucking Skyllian Blitz done in miniature. _I think I'd rather be fighting a thresher maw on foot. Again._ And that was something she had never thought would happen.

"Form a perimeter!" a man's voice, a nice strong parade ground bellow. Shepard approved. "Archers and mages in the center. Warriors hold the front. Don't let them through!" She caught sight of the man bellowing the orders as the combatants shifted ground to obey. Heavy steel armor with a red and black mantle made of some kind of fur. Given the setting she found herself in and the ornate look of his armor, Shepard was betting that this was the commanding officer of the defending troops.

She tossed a singularity into the center of a large grouping, followed by a pyro charge that came from a man standing on her right. She blinked, bringing him into focus. "I could do that all night!" He flashed a grim smile. "Can you do that again?" Tall, tan complexion, dark hair, dark eyes. Thin mustache he probably spent at least an hour on every morning. Fine clothing with an inordinate number of buckles. _I can take him._ A wave of dizziness hit her, and she staggered. The dark haired man grabbed her shoulders, holding her steady. _Just maybe not right this minute._ "I'll take that as a no. Commander, we're getting slaughtered out here!"

 _There's no need to shout,_ she thought fuzzily. _I'm standing right here. Oh, wrong commander._ The man in the ornate steel armor began barking more orders. "Fall back to the Chantry!" There was a break in the fighting, three last villagers made their way past the defenders and into the church. Six more defenders were working their way through the village, checking the houses and buildings as they went past.

The priest she had saved stood in the doorway, beckoning everyone into the crowded interior. "Come in. Hurry, the Chantry is your shelter." Slowly, the retreat into the church started. First the rank and file, then Threnn and the dark haired man until only the Chargers, Shepard and the commander remained.

"Let's go ma'am" Shepard ignored the horned man. She would retreat when everyone else had taken shelter. That was just the way it worked in the Alliance. She might be missing her armor and weapons, but she was still an N7. And that meant first in, last out.

"I'm fine. Get inside." The big guy moved to block her next warp. Shepard aborted the move, glaring up at the man. _Damn what do they feed them here?_ "Move your ass, I said I'm fine." She knew she was being unreasonable; however the Kincaid stubbornness that her mother's family was infamous for had kicked in with a vengeance. She would leave when she was damn good and ready.

"With all due respect ma'am, no you're not." Shepard made to go around him, when he apparently realized that trying to reason with her was a lost cause. He reached down, grasped the biotic around her waist and hoisted her over his should like a sack of grain.

Shepard was _not_ amused.

* * *

"Innit that the woman you pulled out the temple last week Inky? The one Bull has tossed over his shoulder?" At Sera's question Rekkah looked over towards the Chantry. They had just pulled Adan, Minaeve and Flissa out of the wreckage of the tavern and were checking the rest of the cottages for any remaining stragglers on their way to meet up with the rest of the Inquisition.

Sure enough Bull and the rest of the Chargers were heading into the Chantry. And there was Bull with the mystery woman from the temple hanging face down over his shoulder.

"She's got a nice arse don't she?" Sera whistled as the woman's voice reached them. "She's also got a mouth on her." She hummed in appreciation of both the view and the cursing. "Wonder what a vorchas suppose to be? Sounds creepy. Remind me to remember that one would ya Varric?"

"Sure Buttercup, I'll just update my journal."

"Thanks Varric!" The dwarf's sarcasm flew right over the archer's blonde head. "You're the bestest." Varric just sighed.

"Do you think we should help?" Blackwall's remark startled a snort of amusement out of Cassandra.

"Which one?" she asked. "Bull or the woman cursing him?"

"Come on." Rekkah interrupted, starting towards the Chantry again. "We can continue this inside." She dodged a fireball from the dragon circling above "If we live that long."

The six of them made it into the Chantry just ahead of the next fireball sent their way. Cullen shut the doors behind them. The main hall was surprisingly empty of people. Only the Chargers, Bull, Dorian, Cole, Chancellor Rodrick, and the mystery woman were in sight.

Bull had set the woman down on a chair against the wall, and then turned to tend to his own men. Rodrick crouched in front of the woman, his normally pinched expression softening as he pressed a healing potion to her lips. She examined it warily, her earlier temper exhausted. Rekkah was shocked to realize the Chancellor was trying to _comfort_ the woman. She tried to reconcile the helpful Chancellor in front of her with the one that had been a thorn in her side since the start, and failed. The Chancellor succeed in getting the woman to drink the potion. He then beckoned Solas over to her, gesturing as he stood. "Ser Solas, could you please attend this woman. She saved a great many lives and I fear she has injured herself in the process."

The elven apostate gave the Chancellor a sharp look, but complied. "I am surprised you are even awake. Much less able to fight. You are a mage are you not?"

Rekkah turned her attention back to Cullen and Dorian as the two men approached her. Dorian was the first to speak. His voice soft so as not to carry past her. "A brave man. He stood against the Venatori. He would have died if the woman had not been there."

Cullen spared the mage a glance before interrupting him. "Herald. Our position is not good. That dragon stole back any time you might have earned us. There has been no communication, no demands. Only advance after advance." She could feel the frustration radiating off Cullen. He knew as well as she did that they were trapped.

"There was no bargaining with the mages either. This Elder One takes what it wants. From what I gathered in Redcliffe, it marched all this way to take your Herald."

Cole drifted over and murmured softly "The Elder One doesn't care about the village. He only wants the Herald." He shrank back as everyone turned to look at him. "I don't like him." The spirit boy went back to hovering over the woman as Solas tended to her.

"If you have any idea of why he's after me, I'm all ears." Rekkah dismissed Cole from her mind. She would deal with the convoluted thinking of the spirit-boy later. If there was a later.

"Besides taking the Templars? I've no idea what would incur this much wrath. And such a promising start with the landslide." Dorian gave a bitter chuckle. "If only trebuchets remained an option."

"They are. If we turn the last of them to the mountains above us." Cullen's eyes were bleak as they met Rekkah's.

She swallowed hard. It had to be said. "We're overrun. To hit the enemy we'd bury Haven."

"This is not survivable now. The only choice left is how spiteful we end this." He was only speaking the truth, but it was a bitter potion to swallow.

"Well that's not acceptable. I didn't race here only to have you drop rocks on my head!" the Altus' outburst made the others in the room focus on the trio by the door.

"Should we submit? Let him kill us?" The two men faced each. Rekkah feared they might come to blows.

Dorian raised an accusing finger towards Cullen. "Dying is typically a last resort. Not the first. For a Templar, you think like a blood mage." That was a low blow, and one that drew blood. She saw Cassandra and Blackwall come closer to the men, ready to physical separate the pair.

"There is a path. You wouldn't know it was there unless you'd made the summer pilgrimage as I have." Rodrick's words pushed the mage and Templar apart, both turning to glare at the interloper. "The people can escape. She must have shown me, Andraste must have shown me so I could . . . tell you, show you the path."

"What are you on about Rodrick?" Rekkah was still suspicious of this new, helpful Chancellor.

"It was winter I walked the path. I did not mean to start it, the path was overgrown. With so many dead at the Conclave, to be the only one who remembers? I don't know. If this simple memory can save us . . . it could be more than mere accident. You could be more." The sincerity, the belief, in those words gave Rekkah a dangerous hope that there _was_ a way to save everyone. That all the people hiding down in the cellars would have a chance to see the dawn again.

She turned to her commander. "What about it Cullen, will it work?"

"Possibly. If he shows us the path. But what of your escape?"

Rekkah looked away. There would be no escape for her. Cullen swore under his breath and turned back to the others. He began shouting orders to his lieutenants, telling some to load the trebuchets, while others were given the order to gather the villagers and follow the Chancellor, that they would be able to reach safety. _Stone, don't have let the Chancellor lie._ He turned back to Rekkah.

"They'll load the trebuchets, and then join us on the path. Keep the Elder One's attention until we're above the tree line. We'll send up a flare when we reach the pass. If we are to have a chance, if you are to have a chance, let that thing hear you." He gripped her arm in farewell and turned back to organizing the retreat from Haven.

Dorian gripped he shoulder. His hand tight against her leather armor. "Perhaps you can surprise the Elder One. I know you've surprised me." He gathered her into a brief hug, and then turned and followed after Cullen.

Rodrick gave her a long look before he left to lead the villagers through the Chantry and up a half remembered path. "Herald, if you are meant for this, if the Inquisition is meant for this, I pray for you."

The Carta assassin nodded her head, understanding and farewell in the gesture. When she turned back, Blackwall, Solas, The Iron Bull and Varric stood next to the door, waiting for her. "What are you lot doing still standing here?" she demanded. "You should be with the rest of Haven, getting the hell out of here.

"We are with you till the end My Lady." Blackwall gave her a grim smile. "You didn't think we would leave to go it alone did you?"

"He means that we drew straws to decide who would stay and who would go." Varric gave her a smug grin. "I won of course."

"You _want_ to draw the attention of some red-lyrium monster that controls an Archdemon?" Rekkah could only laugh at him. "Are you insane?"

"That's up for debate" Varric agreed, still smiling. His eyes turned grim. "I wouldn't miss this for all the coin in the world."

"And I suppose the rest of you feel the same way?" She looked at them.

"Indeed." Solas' calm voice spoke for them all. "We will retreat when you have gained the monster's attention and not a moment sooner."

A commotion drew Rekkah's attention before she could open the door. It was the mystery woman from the temple. She had evidently recovered enough to get her temper back. "I do not need a damn stretcher!" She stood, swaying slightly before steadying herself against the wall. She pointed down at her legs. "You see these? These are not broken! I am perfectly capable of walking."

Solas sighed heavily, resting a palm against his face. "She shouldn't even be capable of standing, much less walking. She has multiple injuries, including a severe concussion. Perhaps I should..."

Bull stopped him. "I wouldn't worry about it. The Vint and Cullen seem to have it well in hand."

Dorian had walked up behind the woman while Cullen had been trying, without much success, to reason with her. His hand glowed briefly as he made contact with the back of her head. The woman stopped talking, her eyes rolled back and she dropped to the floor. Cullen caught her before she hit, picked her up in his arms, and turned to look at the group at the door. He bowed, and then hurried after Dorian. They were the last ones through the hidden door.

"Come on salrokas, let's get this done." Rekkah led the way back out into the burning village.


	5. The Shepherd's Lost & Her Home is Far

Garrus stared out over the dense forest canopy that covered the horizon as far as his eyes could see. Above him unfamiliar stars spun in their endless dance while twin moons rose towards the zenith of the night sky. It was the middle of his sleep cycle, but he couldn't sleep. Not in their room where her scent was slowly starting to fade. One morning he would wake and it would be completely gone. He couldn't face the empty quarters that waited for him, so he had sneaked back down to the CIC to finish working on the comms. He saw other crew members working when they were supposed to be off shift, but said nothing to them.

He knew that the _Normandy_ was lucky to have crash landed where they had, and not say on Alchera, with its too thin atmosphere and freezing temperatures. But it didn't feel like luck. None of their instruments were working correctly and without a satellite in orbit or a working comm, they had little chance of being found anytime in the next century. Garrus turned his back on the trees and returned to the CIC. He was currently working with EDI and Traynor to get communications up. If not planet wide comms, than at least ship comms. They needed to be able to talk to each other without running up and down the access stairs every ten minutes. This would be easier if the drive core was working.

Adams and Tali had been forced to power down the drive core in order to repair it, so they were running on minimal power. EDI was slowly coming back to herself after that last power surge that had knocked them out of transit though the relay. Something that which not supposed to be possible. This had then caused all the engineers and scientists on board to have collective fits of apoplexy trying to figure out just how it had happened. He had finally shaken his head over the group hysterics and left them to it. With Shepard gone, it had somehow fallen to him to keep the lot of them alive. Which was not an easy task given the personalities involved. Garrus thanked the spirits every morning that he did not have Jack or Grunt to deal with on top of everything else.

"Hey Garrus" And this was another surprise that he hadn't known was on board the ship. Kasumi dropped down out of the access hatch she had been working in. Why exactly she had jumped ship from the _Orizaba_ and to the _Normandy_ the thief had yet to say. And honestly he was just glad it was Kasumi and not Jack. "I finally tracked down that electrical short. We should be able to open the cargo bay hatch now."

"Thanks Kasumi. That's one bit of good news." He looked at her. He guessed she was good looking as far as humans went, but he had never been sure when it came to alien ideals of beauty. At the moment she was far from anyone's ideal. She had dark circle under her eyes and her black fringe, no humans called it hair, was pulled haphazardly into a knot, with strands sticking out at odd angles. She looked the way everyone felt. Tired and defeated. How had Shepard done it? How had she kept everyone's spirits up? He wished he knew. He wished she was here now. "Have Ash, James and Liara gotten back from scouting yet?"

"Not yet. From what James said before he left it will take them a while just to get to the outskirts of the forest." She watched him as he delicately attached wires and soldered contact points. "Worried? I could go after them if you wanted." Kasumi gave him a ghost of her usual cheeky grin. "They would never even know I was there."

"You'll stay with the ship. A ship you weren't even supposed to be on if I recall." He spread his mandibles in his own version of a tired grin. "Why did you jump ship Kasumi? I thought you were happy working on the Crucible."

The thief looked away, not meeting his eyes. "Oh you know me. I never stay in one place for too long."

"Kasumi."

"Please leave it alone Garrus." Her eyes flicked to his, then away again. "I just couldn't stay." She reached over him and changed the position of three wires and a circuit, causing the console to light up for the first time since they crashed on this spirits forsaken planet. "Besides, if I had stayed on that ship for one more minute, Admiral Shepard would have had me married to one of her many nephews. I mean I knew that Shep was an only child, but she never mentioned she had cousins coming out her ears. And Shep's mother is just as ruthlessly polite as she is. She just kind of rolls over you and before you know it, you're having tea and coffee with two fleet admirals, a turian primarch and a rachni queen." The thief chuckled "It was when the rachni workers decided to help," she made air quotes with her fingers, "by trying to serve the tea that I knew I had to make my escape."

Garrus was momentarily distracted by the mental image of a rachni working carrying a human tea saucer with a full cup on its back down a long table to Victus, before firmly pushing the image away. Some things didn't bear thinking about. And giant bugs were one of them. Palaven had never evolved insect life, so large, intelligent bugs were just a bit much for him.

Kasumi pulled her hood up so that her eyes were only a glimmer in the dark of the CIC. "I had such nice chats with Admiral Shepard over tea too," she paused, "well as long as the rachni weren't serving. Hannah, the admiral asked me to call her that, Hannah had all sorts of questions for me about Shep and her crew." She waited until Garrus had taken a sip of his apa. "She was especially interested in a certain turian sniper." Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "'The one that my daughter's been spending time with,' were her exact words I think."

Garrus choked. "Her mother asked about me?" Was that good or bad? Spirits who could tell with humans. They had so many different cultures that it was difficult to sort them all out. He would have to ask. "Is that normal in human culture?"

"Depends on the culture."

"Oh spirits."

"Don't worry. She wasn't upset you're a turian." A wicked grin. "She was upset that Shep hadn't brought you to meet the family yet. And that her family hadn't met your family. She also mentioned grandchildren at one point, but then said she didn't care what kind of grandchild it was as long as she got one sooner or later."

"I did meet the female." Garrus protested weakly. "It was when we stopped at the _Orizaba_ to drop off Allers and the rest of the civilians."

"Well the good news is if you wanted to know what Shep would look like old, you just have to look at her mom." Kasumi lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. "She can be even scarier than Dr. Chakwas."

"No one's scarier than Dr. Chakwas. Hey Garrus did you know ship comms are working again?" Joker's voice came from the speaker hidden above the console he was working on. The pilot had fared better than some in the crash. He at least had been strapped into his chair, unlike the majority of the ground team. Only Ashley, Liara and James had been cleared by Dr. Chakwas for scouting. Garrus was still in a cast from breaking his right spur during the crash. He wished he could have gone with them. Anything was better than being here, waiting for news that would never come. "Now we just need to get the drive core working again and we can work on getting home." There was a slight click as the channel closed.

Kasumi waved at him as she started towards the women's crew quarters. "I'll see you later Garrus; I need to make myself scarce before the terror of the _Normandy_ comes out of her lair."

"Kasumi Gato where do you think you're going young woman?" It amazed Garrus how Dr. Chakwas was able to freeze every single member of the ground crew, including him, in place with just a few words and a look.

"Ah, I was just heading for my bunk Doc." The thief gave the doctor a bright smile while edging towards the door. Dr. Chakwas stood just outside of the med bay, her gimlet stare stopping the other woman in place.

"You are due for your evaluation in the morning. I won't clear you for the ground team until you see me."

"I'll stop by after I sleep for a bit Doc, I promise." With that Kasumi hit her cloaking device and vanished.

Chakwas sniffed after the departing thief. "See that you do." She turned towards the turian who was also trying, without much success, to sneak away. "And what are you still doing up Mr. Vakarian?"

Garrus sighed in defeat and turned back to the medic. "I couldn't sleep. The cabin was too quiet, so I came down to finish up on the comms."

"I can prescribe something you something to help you sleep." Her voice gentled. "You need to sleep Garrus. We all do. Don't think I don't know that most of the crew isn't sleeping." Chakwas gave a weary sigh. "Including myself. Come, join me." She waved him into her med bay.

Garrus obeyed. He still didn't want to face that empty cabin. He sat in the chair Chakwas gestured him to. Rubbing a hand over his fringe he watched as she pulled two glass bottles out from under her work station. "It's a bit late, or is it early, for drinking Doctor."

"Nonsense. This is strictly for medicinal purposes. You favor the Rocam Whiskey if I remember correctly." She poured about three fingers of the bright amber liquid into his glass, her own liquor of choice a pale blue color that was the sign of an excellent Serrice Ice Brandy.

The turian cradled the glass in his hands, warming the whiskey before drinking a small amount. Rocam Whiskey was not a drink you slammed back. And if he treated the liquor with anything but the greatest of respect, his father would materialize in front of him just to take him to task for the affront. "Do you keep a bottle of everyone's drink of choice under your counter Doctor?"

"Of course" Dr. Chakwas was sipping her own brandy with open pleasure. She smiled at him, her silver hair gleaming in the dim lights of the ship's night cycle. "While Kelly tried her best to counsel the ship, I was the one most of the ground crew came to with their problems. I'm older than Kelly, with a great deal more experience under my belt." She took another swallow of brandy. "And then there was the added bonus of not being part of Cerberus. I was someone they could talk to without the fear that everything would be reported back to the Illusive Man." This time her smile was sharp as a razor's blade. "Not that they didn't try to spy on my conversations."

He laughed the sound rough even to his own hearing. "So how many bugs did it take to convince them to stop trying?"

"I stopped finding them after thirty seven were destroyed. Though I still had Kasumi and Tali go over the lab at least once every few days. Legion helped as well once he joined us." Now her eyes turned soft. Very few ever saw the good doctor when her guard was down. Garrus was touched that she trusted him enough to do so. "I very much enjoyed Legion's company. His point of view was so very different from my own." She raised her glass high towards the stars above. "To Legion, may his soul find peace in the beyond."

Garrus raised his own glass. "To Mordin, I hope you can finally study those sea shells like you always wanted too." Both drank in remembrance of their dead.

They spent the rest of the night in the med bay, drinking and toasting friends lost in the war. But Garrus refused to let Shepard's name pass his lip plates. She wasn't dead. Not yet. He had buried her once already. But she had come back to him, to all of them, and he would not bury her again until he saw her body with his own eyes. No she wasn't dead. She was lost, but would find her way home once again. He just had to give her more time.


	6. A Stranger in a Strange Land

" _Shadows fall, and hope has fled. Steel your heart, the dawn will come"._

It was the singing that woke her this time. It said a lot about her life that singing was more disorienting to her than explosions. She drifted on the edge of sleep for a time, lost in the song without really hearing the words, only the tone. It had been so long since she'd had the luxury of a slow wakening that she didn't question the feeling too closely. Another voice joined the first, and the words of the song touched something deep in her.

" _The Shepherd lost and his home is far, keep to the stars, the dawn will come."_

Lost. She was so very lost here in this strange place. And her home, her ship, was light-years away. The last she had seen of the _Normandy_ was when Joker had managed a pickup of her squad after Garrus and Ash had been injured by that damn Mako. The look of despair on Garrus' face, not for himself, but for her, had almost broken her resolve. They both had known that the beam was a one way ticket. That it was one suicide mission she wouldn't be coming back from. She had been going to her death, but at least she had the hope that Garrus and the rest had lived.

" _Bare your blade, and raise it high. Stand your ground, the dawn will come."_

Shepard had gone willingly, unflinching into that beam. She was an Alliance marine and she knew her duty. Had known since she was a young girl, standing next to her mother as her father, one of the first N7s, was laid to rest in hallowed ground. And yet somehow, she had cheated death once more. Fleetingly she wondered if this was how the rest of her life would go, forever being pulled from the edge of death into yet another war, another hopeless cause.

" _The night is long and the path is dark. Look to the sky, for one day soon the dawn will come"_

She turned onto her side, trying to locate the singers. When she found them, a cold shiver crept up her spine. A short, stocky woman, about the height of a volus, stood in front of a crowd of humans, all kneeling before. The look of total devotion and trust of their faces was rather disquieting to Shepard. She had seen that same look on Conrad Verner's face every time he looked at her. No, it was more than trust or hope, it was borderline worship. _Crap, I'm stuck in camp full of religious fanatics._ She hated fanatics. They believed too much, and once they chose their belief, there cause, be it political, religious or a certain lifestyle, they stopped looking for answers outside of that belief. True believers were dangerous and Shepard tried to avoid them at all costs.

The short woman didn't look all that happy to be the focus of such devotion either, for which Shepard gave her full credit. She knew from experience how fickle public opinion could be. One day you were humanity's golden girl, and the next you were sitting in the brig for six months while the media tore your life apart.

Shepard turned attention to the camp around her. She was lying on a mound of blankets and what felt like actual, real, honest, came from a living animal, furs. There was a brown canvas tent sheltering her, and she could see at least five more from her view out the open tent flap. She could also make out a central fire, where the crowd was dispersing back to their own tents and whatever tasks required their attention. The short woman had also left the fire, following after the medic that had tended to her earlier in the church. What was his name? She was certain he had told her, or maybe she had overheard it?

"Awake are you? And here I thought you would take this chance to catch up on your beauty sleep." It was the man from the church square, the one with the silly facial hair. He crouched down next to her, studying her as thoroughly as she was studying him. "I must say that you're looking better, not quite so pale." He gave her a charming smile, one that almost hid the intelligence lurking behind his dark hazel eyes.

"I wasn't at my best at the church." Shepard narrowed her own gray-green eyes at him. "Why do I remember you touching the back of my head just before I passed out?"

"I just a memorable sort of fellow" he waggled his brows at her, causing Shepard to let out a short bark of laughter. "Ah, but where are my manners." Rising to his feet he gave her an elaborate bow, "Dorian of house Pavus, most recently of Minrathous, at your service my lady."

Shepard started to struggle to her feet to return the greeting, but he stalled her. "None of that now. I'm under orders from the healers to keep you off your feet." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Just go along with it. That way I don't have to do any of those ghastly chores the Revered Mother keeps handing out."

She settled herself more comfortably on the furs and blankets before extending her hand towards him. "Kyleen Shepard, of the _Normandy_." She was more than a little startled when instead of shaking her hand; he kissed the back of it. "And if you don't mind me asking, where the hell am I?"

"Well my lovely Kyleen, that's a question that we are all asking ourselves." He sighed and gestured to the open tent flap. "At the moment, the only thing I can tell you is somewhere in the Frostback Mountains between Feraldan and Orlais."

"Just Shepard will do. And while I appreciate the information, it's not quite what I was looking for. I meant what planet are we on? Which system are we in? And where's the nearest mass relay located at?"

He looked at her for a moment, then slapped his hand against her forehead. There was a quick pulse of light, and a slight tingling sensation that spread from her head down to her toes and back up again.

"What the hell did you just do?" Shepard jerked away from her, scowling darkly. She had had far too many beings poke around inside her head over the last few years for her to be comfortable with yet another person doing just that without even asking her first.

"Just a simple diagnostic scan, I just wanted to check your condition, as you seem to have misplaced you wits. Any third level apprentice can do one. "

"But what did you scan me with? I didn't see any sign of an Omni-tool?" Her scowl faded into a thoughtful frown. "For that matter how the hell am I still alive?"

"To answer the latter question you'll have to ask someone other than my august self. I only recently joined this delightful party. As to the former, I used my magic of course. Being a terrible Tevinter Blood Mage means that I like using my magic on unsuspecting women, and men, so that they will bow to my every whim!" He winked at her from his nest of furs.

Shepard just raised one eyebrow at him. "You like provoking people don't you?"

"My dearest Shepard, it's what I do best!"

She couldn't help her answering grin. Shepard decided that she liked this man, with his drama and flare. She wasn't sure she trusted him, but she did like him.

"Now I have a question for you. How did you suspend those men in the air during the fight? They made excellent targets that the way."

"Singularity." At his baffled look she explained further. "It's a sphere of dark energy that traps and dangles any enemies or items caught in its radius of effect." He just continued to stare at her as if she was speaking gibberish. "It's one of the primary attacks of an Adept."

"What in bloody blazes is an adept? Is that what mages are called in your land?"

Shepard just stared at him, puzzled by his use of 'mages.' That had been what Threnn had called her, so maybe that was just what they called biotics here. She shrugged mentally, chalking it up to 'strange local customs' and continued with her conversation. "Adepts are biotic specialists, capable of disabling and killing enemies with raw biotic power. That's my own specialization, though I've added to my abilities over the last few years." Her smile became bitter, her eyes focusing on something only she could see. "War tends to do that. You either evolve, or you die. And apparently I'm no good at dying."

Before Dorian could respond to Shepard's bitter remark, the kid from the church yard materialized in front of her. "No, no, no, no, no. You mustn't die. The emptiness is not here, not now." He crouched down in front of her, angling his head to meet her eyes from under the brim of his hat. "You promised him you would come back. You can't leave now. You can't!"

Cautiously, Shepard put hands on the kid's shoulders, keeping her voice calm and soothing. "I'm not going to die. Al least not right this instant. Someday I will, everything dies eventually, but not now. So just calm down alright." Slowly the tension drained away from the kid's bony frame. The frantic glint left his bright blue eyes, and he eased back away from her. Shepard let him go. He was like a varren that had been kicked one too many times, and was now wary of any hand stretched out towards him.

"I'm not like Urz. No one made me fit in a pit. I'm not like Jack either. She's better now. You helped make the darkness less dark."

"What the hell?!" She turned his face so that she could see his eye again. "Who are you kid?" Eyes narrowed. "What are you?"

He smiled at her. It was a shy, hopeful smile, and a little of the cold his words had caused melted under that look. "I'm Cole. I help people." His eyes and voice became distant as he continued. "'Lots of ways to help people. Sometimes heal patients. Sometimes execute dangerous people. Either way helps.'" His eyes focused on her again. "I liked Mordin. He understood. He helped." Cole's smile faded and he awkwardly patted her shoulder. "He was happy when he died. He fixed his mistake. Don't be sad."

Shepard stared at him, this strange boy who knew things he had no business knowing. "Cole how do you know that? How _can_ you know that? Mordin died over a year ago."

"I help the hurt. He's pain called to me." He's gaunt face gained a mournful cast. "He couldn't hear me very well. His mind was too busy, always thinking, planning, analyzing."

"Yeah, Mordin was like that."

He gave her a bright smile, "He was so bright, but the dark threatened to consume him whole. You helped him keep his light." His face became solemn again, focused on her with an intensity that she had rarely seen in one so young. "You're like that too. So very bright. With hidden hurts and secret shadows. The beacon calls out even as it sleeps. Whispers of a dead race creep through your thoughts, dreams, memories. But under all that it's you. Your light called them, brought them together. You bind, shelter, hold them fast. The immovable center. A place a person can stop, and catch her breath."

With that vanished again. Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose. "Damn it. I don't need this right now. I'll have to put a bell on that kid. Kasumi was bad enough, I don't need a second one."

Dorian cleared his throat. "Well that was, well, different." He looked at her, curiosity plain in his gaze. "Dare I ask what that was all about?"

"You can ask, but I'm not going to answer. Not right now."

"Ah, I think I understand." He climbed to his feet, pulling one of the furs after him. How he managed to bow gracefully with the fur wrapped around his shoulders, Shepard would never know. "Serah Shepard, I'll see if can't find you something to eat. So until tomorrow, I bid you good eve."

"Good night Dorian. And thanks" she paused "for everything."

* * *

 **AN:**

I want to thank everyone again for their kind words and comments. I apologize for how long it took me to post this chapter, but RL has been very busy the last few weeks. I am trying to get out a chapter a week. We'll see how that goes. Also let me know if anyone wants to know what Cadash and Shepard look like, I'll put up screenshot next chapter.


	7. Stone Beneath Her Feet

It had taken over a week for the refugees of Haven to reach the mountain fortress that Solas named Skyhold. Rekkah would very much like to know how the elven wanderer had known about the keep in the first place, but the apostate kept his secrets close. He was very much an outsider, coolly polite to everyone, but always holding himself at a distance. The only one he seemed even remotely close to was Cole, and even then he acted more like an indulgent older relative than a friend.

She had asked him about the fortress, only to be told he had seen it in the fade. Rekkah frowned as she walked the ramparts. 'Seen in the fade' had become his default answer to most questions she had for him, but Rekkah knew when she was being lied to. Let Solas keep his secrets. As long as those secrets brought no harm to her kith and kin, she would not push him for the truth.

The newly named Inquisitor paused in her walk, looking down into the courtyard at the small grouping of tents that held the wounded, among them Kyleen Shepard, the woman from the temple. Solas, along with the rest of the healers, had been adamant that she ride in a wagon for the trip to the fortress. From the comments Rekkah had overheard, Shepard, as she preferred to be called, had not been happy at being regulated to the back a wagon cart. Strangely enough it had been Cole that had convinced her to cooperate with the healers. Of course the fact that Dorian kept hitting her with sleep spells when she got too irritable also had a lot to do with it. Dorian had regaled her with the fact that Shepard now viewed the mage as the bane of her existence and that she had accused him of "conspiring with Chakwas to keep her in bed." Rekkah took that to mean she had been a difficult patient her entire life and viewed healers as a whole as something to avoid at all costs.

She hadn't had a chance to formally meet Shepard yet, but from what Dorian had told her, she was lost in more ways than one. Well she would make the time to meet with her today, tomorrow at the latest. If this Shepard was going to be a problem, Rekkah wanted to know about it sooner rather than later.

Rekkah turned towards the main building, picking her way over the piles of rubble left over from the decades of abandonment the castle had suffered. Even though Skyhold was badly in need of repair, the underlying structure was sound. She had already sent word to her clan for stonemasons to come and oversee the repairs to the structure. Surfacers they might be, but the Stone still called to the majority of those in her clan. And the Stone was strong here. She could feel the strength of the rock in the mountains around her, cradling the keep in its embrace. This was a strong fortress and it was hers now.

Entering the main hall from the walkway connecting the keep to the battlements, she turned and headed into the library. Dorian had laid claim to a nook there already, and that was where she found him. Mages, tranquil and scholars were already hard at working organizing what books had been saved from Haven. Others worked on reports, or just chatted quietly with each other, enjoying a respite after the long journey.

"Ah, if it isn't our lovely inquisitor, here to beard the dastardly Tevinter blood mage in his secret den of darkness."

Rekkah just raised a brow at the mage. "If you want a secret den of darkness, there's a small library next to the wine cellar."

Dorian thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No better not. Best to stay out in the open where everyone can see me. It might help keep the gossip down." He flashed a smile that was bitterer than normal "Wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea after all."

"Something going on I should know about?" She knew that there were those in the Inquisition that didn't want the mage to remain at Skyhold, but she trusted Dorian well enough. He had risked everything to warn her about the attack on Haven, and she would not turn him out simply to appease those that distrusted the Tevinter on principle.

"Nothing I can't handle dear Rekkah." His smile warmed and his eyes softened, just enough. "It's not like I expected to be welcomed with open arms. Let me deal with the gossips in my own fashion my dear." He smirked, his eyes bright with restored humor. "If they really want to get under my skin, they'll have to work harder. The gossips here are rank amateurs when compared to the ones at home in Minrathous."

"If you insist I'll let it go. But if it goes beyond mere gossip, I need to know Dorian."

"You'll be the first to know if anything happens to my august self. Now what can I do for you?"

"Shepard. What do you think of her?"

"She's a strange one. Keeps asking people where we are, and doesn't like answers she's getting." He paused, his hand reaching up and absently rubbing his moustache. "She's seems confused at the most basic use of magic, but she has power of her own. We all saw that in Haven." He frowned in thought. "I noticed that she was utterly appalled at the conditions of the camp and the healers' tent when we got here. She also didn't seem that impressed with Skyhold itself. Said something about how she didn't believe stone was strong enough to withstand a modern artillery strike."

"So she's military of some kind."

"I'd say so. She's got all the signs of it. But I've never heard of any army outside of Tevinter allowing mages into its ranks. And even in Tevinter, mages are only part of special units, not the rank and file."

Rekkah thanked Dorian and turned towards the stairs leading up to the rookery. Leliana had her lair there, and she wanted to speak to the spymaster about their mystery woman.

* * *

It was late evening when Rekkah gathered her advisors, along with Iron Bull, Solas, and Dorian in the war room for a meeting about their guest. She also had no doubt that Cole would appear if he thought he was needed, though at this point he'd more or less attached himself to either Solas, Varric, or herself. If you wanted the spirit boy, you had to seek one of them out and hope that Cole was there, and in the mood to be found.

She stood and looked around the room, her eyes landing first on Iron Bull and Leliana. The two spies were the most suited to ferreting out any secrets the woman may have. "What do you have for me?"

Leliana and Bull glanced at each other before Leliana answered. "Understand that I've had very little time, and most of my people are still in disarray over the Elder One's attack on Haven." She frowned in displeasure. Leliana disliked not knowing everything about everyone in Skyhold. "I've been able to learn _nothing_ about the woman. It seems she first appeared in Thedas the night she showed up at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Though from what I've observed, this Shepard is a woman used to command." A slight quirk of her lips, "She also has an almost unreasonable dislike of healers and bed rest."

"She's definitely military of some kind. You don't get that kind of discipline on the battlefield without being in a lot of fights. And I'm not talking about little skirmishes with bandits on the road, I mean full scale battles." Bull's single eye gleamed in the mage lights that were scattered around the room. "She's also a lot heavier than she looks. More so than just what muscle mass could account for."

Solas spoke next, his voice thoughtful as always. "I'm honestly not sure what she is. She is human, I can tell you that much." He sighed. "I've attempted to approach her in the fade, but her sleeping mind is difficult to reach. She is almost dwarf-like in that regard."

"If she's a mage, she's the strangest one I've ever met." Dorian put in. "When we spoke that night in camp, it was like we were speaking a different language, never mind we understood each other's words. She also got upset when I used magic to scan her for injuries."

"So she's a mage that dislikes magic?" Cullen asked his tone skeptical.

"No I think she was more upset because she didn't know _how_ I scanned her, not that I was checking her for injuries. Asked me where my, what did she call it? Ah yes, where my ommitol was, whatever that is."

Rekkah made a thoughtful sound in the back of her throat as she thought. "What about her equipment? Did it make it out of Haven when we evacuated?"

"I don't believe so. If it is not in the undercroft, then it's most likely still in the Chantry cellars." Josephine had been in charge of getting most of the supplies out of Haven. If she said the woman's armor was still under the Chantry, then that's where it was.

"I was hoping to send workers back to Haven to scavenge what they could from the ruins. There could also still be survivors in the surrounding woods." Cullen traced the route back to Haven with his finger on the map. "We could send the Chargers and some soldiers with the workers for protection."

"Do it." Rekkah tapped the map on Skyhold's location then moved her own finger down to the edge of the map. "I'm leaving within the next few days for the Fallow Mire. It's been almost three weeks since our scouts were taken by the Avvar. I don't want to wait any longer to get them back than we already have."

"The delay could not be helped. From what I know of the Avvar, they won't torture the hostages simply because they're bored, but they also won't wait forever before slitting their throats and leaving the bodies to rot in the Mire." Cullen grimaced, rubbing his forehead in an effort to relieve a headache.

She had noticed that his headaches were getting worse. Rekkah wondered idly when he was going to tell her about the lyrium withdrawal he was going through. Foolishness on his part to try and hide it from her. She was Carta. She knew the signs when she saw them. Rekkah decided not to tell the commander that the symptoms would get worse as time passed until all the lyrium had worked its way out of his system. _No, I'll keep that to myself. No need to make him give up before he truly begins._

"I think I'll take Blackwall and Solas with me, along with at least one more person."

"What you're leaving me here?" Dorian sounded genuinely hurt that she hadn't included him in the trip to the mire.

"Are you telling me _you_ want to go slogging through a corpse infested swampland?" Rekkah looked the mage up and down, a disbelieving look on her face.

"Well, I, perhaps next time then?" The laughter that bubbled up around the table at the northern mage did a great deal to relieve the tension that had settled on the group.

"Why don't you see if this Serah Shepard can join you?" Josephine asked when the laughter died. "That will give the Chargers time to retrieve her equipment and for the Arcanist, Dagna I believe her name is, to examine it." She consulted her every present clipboard, "She should be arriving her within the week."

"We'll plan on that then. I still need another person. I'd like to take Varric, but I'm not sure when his friend is supposed to get here. He mentioned that he wanted to be here to welcome them."

"Inquisitor if I may," Solas watched her, his eyes thoughtful. "It might be wise to bring Cole with us. He seems to have become very attached to Serah Shepard, and might follow regardless of your wishes if left behind."

"Cole it is then." Rekkah turned to Cullen and Josephine. "Have Harritt and Threnn get Shepard outfitted in the morning. I think we'll head out the day after that. Is that enough time to make preparations?"

"That should suffice Inquisitor." Josephine briskly jotted notes down as she moved toward the door. "I shall make the necessary arraignments. Also as soon as rooms are made suitable, I shall assign suitable quarters for all members of the Inner Circle." She looked at Bull and raised brow. "The Iron Bull, I assume you are going back to Haven with the Chargers?"

Bull nodded, following the ambassador out the door. Rekkah was amused to note that the qunari had to angle his head slightly to get through the open door, as only one of the massive doors would open at the moment. "That's the plan. I might take Sera with me; keep her out from underfoot of the workers."

"That _would_ make things easier." Their voices faded as they entered the long hallway leading to the room Josephine had claimed for her office.

Rekkah looked at the others, "Alright get some rest. I'll speak to Shepard first thing in the morning, and then send her to get outfitted."

With murmurs of goodnight, they left the war room, leaving Rekkah alone with her thoughts. She gazed down at the large map that covered the massive table. Her glance touched on Haven, then moved away.

"It wasn't your fault." Cole's voice came out of the darkness as he appeared next to her. Blue eyes peered out at the world from beneath his ever present hat. "Haven wasn't your fault."

"Logically I know that Cole, but in here," she pressed her had against her heart, "here is where I must believe it. That will take time, but this wound will heal."

"But it hurts you." He brightened. "I could take the hurt?"

"No Cole." She smiled at the spirit boy. "Memories make us who we are. If you take someone's memories than you change that person."

"But if I make you forget, you won't hurt so much." He reached out and gingerly touched his hand to hers where it lay on the edge of the table. "I want to help."

"There are many ways to help Cole. Not everything can be solved by taking someone's pain from them." She patted his hand and looked up at him, making sure to meet his sky bright eyes. "Now I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"What do you see when you look at Shepard?" Rekkah waited as he thought. She could still remember his answer when she had asked him the same question, only about herself instead. _'You're too bright. Like counting birds against the sun. The mark makes you more. But past it . . . the stone, still there, silent and reaching up for the blood that walks. No dreams with the cord cut. You sell it.'_ Those words had echoed in her mind that night, and had left her wondering just what he had meant.

"She left and then was returned, it makes her hard to see. They touched her mind, black tears and ashes falling on her checks, as the skies rain fire on steel cities." His eyes had gone distant as he struggled to put into words what he saw when looking at the woman that had fallen from the sky. "Cold, so very cold. Never be warm again. Cold thoughts slither though her mind. Never show the fear, never show the _doubt_." He blinked, focusing on her again. "So very bright, yet dark too. She hides the fear of falling just like you do."

Rekkah was quite as she tried to make sense of what Cole has told her. "Thank you Cole. Now go get some rest. We're going to go to the Fallow Mire in two days and I'd like you to go with me."

"Alight. Can Shepard come too?"

"I'll ask her."

AN: Thanks to everyone for your comments. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I've added a link to my Tumblr on my profile if anyone is interested in what Shepard and Rekkah look like.


	8. Stars Within Her Eyes

Shepard stared up at the canvas tent overhead, doing her best to avoid sleep. Ever since she had woken the second time, her dreams had been . . . odd. She still had the dream about the forest with depressing regulatory, but it had changed. The changes were subtle in nature, but she'd been having this same dream for over a year. The forest seemed more alive since she had woken here, wherever here was. The ash wasn't as thick, occasionally she could hear distant wolf howls, but the most jarring difference was that the boy was missing from her dreamscape. She still searched, but now she searched for something else. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, only that it was vital.

"You should sleep." Her only reaction to the words coming out of the dark was a slight jump in her heart rate. Shepard congratulated herself. It was better than that first day on the march when she had almost cold cocked him out of reflex. She turned her head to find the strange boy sitting next to her bedroll.

"Why is that Cole?" She kept her voice low, not wanting to wake the other sleepers she shared the tent with.

"Rekkah says we're going to the Fallow Mire to get our scouts back. She wants you to come too."

"Alright, who is Rekkah and why does she want me to come with her?"

"Rekkah is the Herald. She kept Envy out when it wanted in. She made the Elder One so very angry. I like being near Rekkah. She's so very quiet. Like Varric. You're quiet too, but not as quiet. The Fade tries to touch you, but the blue glimmers within your skin push it back." He was silent for a moment then, "I like the blue, it sings. Not like the lyrium does. Softer, almost silent, but there beneath your skin."

Shepard puzzled over Cole's words. He confused her a great deal, but the insight he gave her when she did understand him was both amazing and unnerving. The blue? That could be the small amount of ezo that all biotics had which let them produce and control mass effect fields. It kept this Fade away from her? And what the hell was lyrium? Was it another form of element zero? Or something else altogether? Thoughts tumbled around her mind as she thought about something called the Fade and lyrium and where exactly that damn relay hidden in the Citadel had landed her.

There was so much she didn't understand of the world she found herself in. In many ways it reminded her of Earth, from the pine forests that surrounded the keep, to the horses she had watched being worked at the stables earlier that day. But the differences made themselves felt. Next to the horses had been large elk like creatures that had watched her with wise eyes, some of the stable hands working the animals bore long pointed ears, like the elves out of one of Tolkien's tales, working hand in hand with the humans she was used to seeing.

"Who's Tolkien?" She'd gotten use to Cole picking up bits of her thoughts. She didn't really like it and had no idea how he was doing it, but she's resigned herself to it.

"An old storyteller. If I ever find my omni-tool I'll read you some of his stories." She wondered what the reaction to _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ would be here.

"I'd like that. You should tell Varric your stories. He tells stories too."

"We'll see." They fell silent again, Shepard still staring up at the canvas tent above her. Abruptly she got up and picked her way around the other sleepers to the tent entrance. Once outside she looked at the stone walls looming in the night, silent sentinels against the darkness. Here and there she could make out the human sentinels patrolling the walls.

Looking up, she spotted the stars gleaming like diamonds against black velvet. Aching to be closer to the darkness that was her home, she made her way up a half repaired stairway to stand on the walls. Once on the battlements, she found one of the towers that no one had claimed yet and made her way to stand atop the flat tower roof. From there she had an unrestricted view of the stars shining down on the ancient fortress.

Shepard stood watching the stars dance above her, aware that Cole was near, but paying the boy little heed. Wanting to find something, anything, to tell her where she was, she scanned the distant stars, looking for familiar patterns in the endless expanse above her, but found nothing she recognized. Still she searched until dawn lightened the sky, drowning out the faint light of the stars. Cole keeping silent vigil with her as they slowly winked out, one by one.

* * *

It was mid-morning when the head medic, one Matthias Trevelyan, released her from the med tent. He'd kept her longer than was really needed, due to her implants she recovered from most injuries faster than normal. But as he hadn't confined her to bed rest the way Chakwas would have, she forgave him his fussing.

Now she stood in the bright morning sunlight and realized she had no place to go. For the first time in her adult life she had no clear goal. There were no politicians demanding her time, no reports to go over, no training to conduct, and no staff meetings to attend. Hell she didn't even have any plans for the damn weekend, much less know what day of the week it was. She had no purpose and she had no idea in hell what to do with herself. _Well shit_.

Before she could start to panic at the thought of starting over she heard her name being called. "Serah Shepard?" a young boy, his ears curving to a graceful point, trotted up to her. He looked to be about eight or nine and had the spindly legs and arms of someone going through a growth spurt.

"Yes?"

"The Lady Inquisitor would like to speak to you." He smiled up at her, showing a gap where one of his front teeth had fallen out. "The Council is there too. She said to come to the war room."

Shepard hid a smile. "And perhaps you could show me where this war room is so I can meet with the Inquisitor and her Council?"

"I can do that!" He turned and sped off towards the stairwell that lead up to the upper courtyard. Shepard kept up easily, listening as the boy chattered a mile a minute about the goings on of the keep. "And did you know that the Lady Inquisitor came out of the Fade, and, and she stopped the evil bad guy from hurting everyone in Haven and she scared the Archdemon away and she saved the Templars from a demon and, and, Lady Josephine is really nice. And someone stole cheese and mint from the kitchen and Cook's really mad. And the healers say they want spider webs, and why would they want spider webs?"

Shepard made appropriate noises when he paused for air; automatically scanning everything and everyone as she moved past, when she spotted horns off in one corner of the yard. "Hold on a moment, I'm sorry, but what's your name kid?"

"Oh, I'm Dylan Serah Shepard. Why do we need to stop? Lady Josephine said it was important for you to go to the war room right away!"

Oh to be that young again. "I need to speak to someone. It will only take a moment." She nodded her head towards where the guy with the horns was talking to another man. She recognized him from the church square too. He had been the one with the shield that has saluted her across the field.

If possible Dylan's eyes became even bigger "You know The Iron Bull and Mr. Krem?" Before she could get a word in edge wise he was off again. "The Iron Bull's kinda scary, but I like Mr. Krem, he tells the best stories. Almost as good as Mr. Varric's stories."

She quickly held up a hand to stop the flow of words. "You can tell me about that later. I want you to wait here while I talk to them." When he looked hurt, she continued "It's a private matter between them and me."

Leaving the boy, she walked purposefully towards the duo. She had a few choice words she wanted to share with this Iron Bull.

The men saw her coming, and turned to face her approach. She studies them both as she got closer, not quite sure what to make of them. The horned guy was krogan big, with well-developed muscle mass that reminded her of Vegas' obsession with lifting weights. And she could see just how developed his muscles were as he apparently did not believe in wearing shirts. Instead he wore a leather harness that still left his chest and abdomen exposed. From the eyepatch over his left eye to the numerous scars that covered his torso, this was a man that liked to be in the thick of the fight, _and he didn't wear proper armor!_ Shepard had to forcefully remind herself that she was not his CO, so she couldn't chew him out for this glaring oversight. _Yet_.

The man next to the horned guy was slightly taller than her, and wore plate armor from neck to toe. And while she couldn't image running around in anything heavier than her own armor, at least he was smart enough to wear real armor and not leave himself exposed. He was a good looking man, dark brown hair and eyes, with the same warm skin tone that Dorian had. Perhaps they came from the same area? She would have to get someone to explain the local political situation sooner rather than later.

Shepard mourned her own lost armor, before focusing on the men in front of her. The non-idiot gave her a proper salute, with a quick "Ma'am," while the horned guy just smirked at her. She ignored him for the moment and returned the man's salute with one of her own.

"At ease."

"Glade to see you up and about ma'am. The fight at Haven was hard on us all. Had to be even worse for you, seeing as the condition you were in when we found you."

"You got a name solider?"

"Lieutenant Cremisius Aclassi, second-command of the Chargers."

"Merc group?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Well done Lieutenant. And that's something I don't often say to mercs. And I take it this is your CO?" She jerked her thumb at the still smirking horned guy next to him.

"Yes ma'am. This is The Iron Bull. He leads the Chargers." Krem shot the other man a look, "Though he usually waits a little longer before acting like an ass."

"Ah Krem-de-la-crème, you wound me." The Iron Bull waggled his eyebrows at his XO, "I'm always an asshole. That's why you guys follow me." He tuned his one eye towards Shepard, a keen intelligence hiding underneath the easy going expression on his face.

They studied one another, no detail too small or insignificant in the bright light of the morning sun. The Iron Bull made the first move, giving a short bow, as he spoke. "Like Krem said, I'm The Iron Bull and I lead the Chargers."

Shepard returned the gesture, not at all upset at not shaking hands. It was mainly a human gesture that had only barely started to make inroads with the rest of Council space before the Reaper invasion. "Commander Kyleen Shepard, Alliance Navy and Council SPECTRE. I just wanted to have a few words with you The Iron Bull." Shepard eyed him. "First question, what the hell are you?"

"I'm a qunari. We live mostly to the far north in Par Vollen. We also have some that leave the Qun. Those are Tal-Vashoth, or Vashoth if they were born outside the Qun."

"We'll disuse politics later. Second question," Shepard grabbed him by his leather harness, jerking him down to her own eye level. "What the hell were you thinking grabbing me in the middle of a battle like that?"

The Iron Bull grunted in surprise at how easily Shepard had maneuvered him. There were times that Shepard forgot the cybernetic implants and the gene modifications for strength and endurance she had received after joining the N program. There were benefits to being a marine.

"Well ah ma'am, I was thinking that you were still injured and that you need to be seen by a healer, and well ma'am, you weren't exactly rational at the time. Ah ma'am."

"Let me be very clear The Iron Bull, you put hands on me again, against my express orders and I will beat you within an inch of your life. After I flay you alive. Do you understand me The Iron Bull?"

Bull straighten as much as he was able, which wasn't much given that Shepard still had control of his harness. "Ma'am I can't promise that, but I will do my best as long it doesn't endanger myself or those under my protection. Ma'am."

The SPECTRE let go of his harness. "That will do." She gave Bull and Krem a sweet smile. Garrus and the rest of her ground team were well acquainted with this smile. "Gentlemen." She turned and walked back to where she had left Dylan standing next to the stairs.

"Alright Dylan, where's that war room?" He stared at her with huge eyes before turning and heading up the stairs to the main hall. They went through the main hall, still covered in debris, through a side door, past a long narrow room that already had a desk covered with paperwork set up in it, down another corridor with a large hole in the wall to a set of large double doors. Dylan stopped, knocked against a brass knocker, and opened the door at the muffled "Enter" that came from inside the room.

"This is the war room Serah Shepard. This is where I leave you."

Shepard smiled at the boy and ruffled his hair as she walked past him. "Thank you Dylan. You're the best guide I've ever had." He grinned happily up at her, his gap toothed smile a sight to see, before running off back down the corridor.

The SPECTRE entered the room to find five people waiting for her. The only ones she recognized were the ruffle covered woman that had tried to get her to go into the church, the blonde commander from the battle in the churchyard and the short woman that she had seen being sung too by the masses. The last two she didn't know.

She studied the two unknown women; both were in their late 30s, or early 40s. The red haired woman in the hood had cold blue eyes that studied her in return. This one Shepard knew, would kill her without a single hesitation if she felt the action called for. _And she wouldn't lose a moment's sleep over it_. The other woman had short dark hair, with a single braid wrapped around her head like a crown. She had fiery brown eyes that promised a quick temper, and like the commander wore armor and a sword belted to her side.

"Commander Kyleen Shepard of the _Normandy SR2_ , System Alliance Navy reporting in as ordered." Shepard came to attention and fixed her eye just over the man's right shoulder. Silence filled the large chamber as the group studied her just as intently as she had studied them.

Finally the commander broke the silence, his lips quirking with hidden humor at her matter of fact tone and introduction, "At ease solider."

Dropping into parade rest, she waited, her eyes still focused over his shoulder. Let them make the first move. Shepard was at a major disadvantage here, she would treat this as a potential hostile situation until proven otherwise. Better this way, less unpleasant surprises in the long run.

The short woman spoke next; her voice was deeper than Shepard had expected and her accent was different from that of Dorian and Bull. She was about the height of a volus, with the slender build and the graceful movements of someone with a great deal of physical training. Thane had moved like that. An economy of movement that almost screamed 'assassin' to Shepard's discerning eye. Her dark red hair had been shaved into a Mohawk that was long enough that she'd had to braid the length to keep it from her eyes. Those eyes where a pale, almost silver blue in color, echoing the color of her tattoos that accented her chin, forehead and cheekbones. She could have been Jack's older, much shorter, and far less jaded sister standing in front of Shepard.

"I don't believe that any here have been formally introduced, so I shall start. I am Rekkah Cadash, Inquisitor," she gestured to the ruffled woman next to her. "This is Lady Josephine Motilyet of Antiva. She is our ambassador."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Serah. Your actions at Haven saved a great many people. Even Chancellor Rodrick speaks well of you."

Shepard raised a brow in query "Who Madam Ambassador?"

"The man you saved from a Venatori blade." The man said. "Commander Cullen Rutherford of the Inquisition forces. And I extend my own thanks for your help at Haven. You stood your ground, and that gave my men time to get everyone they could out of Haven and to safety."

"That's part of my job Commander." She met the man's eyes. They were a warm, golden brown. For some reason Kaidan's dark brown eyes came to mind. She pushed the thought away. "I am glad to hear that the priest survived."

"He's not a priest. Only women may be priests under Chantry law." The hooded woman's voice was soft and melodic. _I wonder if she sings._ She had the voice for it. She still had the eyes of a killer, but her voice was truly lovely. And given that she wore the same colors that the priest, no the chancellor, had worn of red and white, she was most likely a part of this Chantry religion. The 'only women in the priesthood' was a role reversal from what she knew of most earth religions, but local customs were always strange to outsiders.

"And what would your job be exactly?" Shepard asked silkily. She might have hated politics with the fiery passion of a thousand stars going supernova, but didn't mean she didn't know how to maneuver through that particular battlefield. She simple often chose not to. The woman had already made up her mind about her, and Shepard was not inclined to waste her time trying to change it.

When the hooded woman didn't answer, only narrowed those cold blue eyes, Shepard continued, "Given your get up, I'd say you're part of this Chantry, but no priest should have eyes as dead as yours." The two woman locked stares, neither one willing to be the first to back down.

"Sister Leliana is our Spymaster. She was also the Left Hand of Divine Justinia before her murder." It was the woman with the short dark hair and the practical armor that had spoken with a blunt honesty that probably created just as many problems as it solved. "I am Cassandra Pentaghast, former Seeker of the Chantry and Right Hand of the Divine."

"Cassandra!" Leliana broke eye contact first in order to glare at her fellow hand.

"What? It's not like it's a secret."

"Yes um, Serah Shepard is it?" the ambassador stepped between the two women, bringing room's attention back to the matter at hand. "We have a few questions for you. Specifically, we would like to know how you came to be in the Temple of Sacred Ashes in the terrible state we found you in."

Shepard sighed heavily. "You and me both. It's a long story, but the last clear thing I remember before waking up here was the Illusive Man shooting Admiral Anderson." She smiled, more a flashing of teeth in warning than a sign of happiness. "And then I talked the bastard into shooting himself in the head."

Josephine looked a little upset at this, but the rest of those in the room saw nothing wrong in taking satisfaction at the death of an enemy. "I remember sitting with Anderson, watching the battle and the stars from somewhere on the Citadel. I must have passed out for a while, because the next thing I remember is Hackett's voice asking me something, the details are fuzzy, then nothing until I woke up here." She paused "In the middle of yet another firefight."

"Alright," Rekkah gestured her to the large table they stood around. Shepard approached and saw a large paper map spread out across the tabletop. "Where is this Citadel located at? You said you're navy, so I'm assuming somewhere along the coast?"

The SPECTRE studied the map, tracing her fingers across the heavy paper. Her eyes lingered on unfamiliar script that had to denote cities and landmarks. She had never seen anything like this outside of a museum. _Kasumi would love to have this._ Maybe she could somehow bring it back to Council space with her as an apology to the thief for leaving her with her mother. "This is a beautiful map, but there are a few problems."

The Inquisitor raised her eyebrow in question. Shepard noticed that her left eyebrow was shaved in two places on the outer edge. She wondered why the redhead had done that. It only reinforced the idea that she was a shorter, less tattooed, and far less vulgar version of Jack. "And what would those be?"

"One, I can't read a single thing on this map. I also don't recognize any landmarks or coastlines." Leliana's already hard eyes sharped at this information. "Second, unless you have a current galactic star map hiding somewhere, this isn't going to help me find a way home anytime soon."

 **Notes:**

I'm using multiple mods for my advisers, so I posted a pic of my advisors on my tumblr.


	9. Meetings and Greetings

Rekkah stared at Shepard after the human made her announcement. She had yet to look up from her study of the map. The woman seemed fascinated with it, running her fingers over the outline of the countries and coastlines. "This is beautiful," she murmured. "Is there any way I can get a copy for a friend?" Shepard smiled at Rekkah as she finally looked up from the map. "Kasumi loves things like this and I need to get back into her good graces after leaving her to deal with my mother." Shepard went back to studying the map. _She acts like she's never seen one before_. Rekkah thought.

When no one answered her, Shepard looked up in question. "What?"

Rekkah spoke before Leliana did. She didn't know what is was about the other woman that rubbed the spymaster the wrong way, but she also knew that this Shepard was a resource she wasn't going to waste simply to spare her feelings. "What do you mean you can't read the map? It's in plain common, and while I'll admit the handwriting isn't as neat as it could be, it _is_ legible."

Shepard glanced down at the map, her eyes lingering there for just a moment before meeting Rekkah's gaze. "I speak three languages; I understand the basic of two others, along with the curse words in half a dozen more, this" she pointed at the runes proclaiming Tevinter in the common trade tongue, "means absolutely nothing to me."

"You expect us to believe that?" Leliana asked suspicion evident in her tone.

"What reason would I have to lie?" The very mildness of Shepard's response was a sharp contrast to the accusation in Leliana's eyes.

"You could be a spy for the Elder One, sent to infiltrate the Inquisition on the eve of our destruction at Haven."

Cassandra and Cullen stirred uneasily at that while Josephine just looked distressed. "Now Leliana, given as to how Serah Shepard joined our company that seems very unlikely."

"Oh? What better way to gain our trust? Here is the wounded solider, who just happens to wake from her grievous wounds on the eve of battle and saves the life of a well know Chantry official along with the lives of many civilians."

Shepard studied Leliana, head cocked to one side as she looked the spymaster in the eye. "Lady you have a mighty big opinion of yourself and your organization."

Rekkah coughed to hide her laughter, while Cassandra made a disgusted sound. Cullen just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck and Josephine had a mixture of amusement and insult on her pretty face. The Inquisitor was surprised at Shepard's attitude towards the Nightingale. Most took one look at her hard eyes and gave her a wide berth. This woman wasn't intimidated by the spymaster in the least.

Shepard continued, ignoring the rest of them. "Now, like I said before, I don't recognize anyplace on this map, and given the general tech level I'm seeing in this place, I guessing that you don't have a working comm link hidden anywhere." Her voice was calm and cool as she stared Leliana down. There was no real heat in her tone or her eyes, but there as was no give either. "Now, I understand that I'm an unknown. A potential threat. And I fully intend to cooperate with you to the best of my ability until I can get back to my ship and my people." She turned and met the eyes of everyone in the room, ending with Rekkah.

Since Leliana looked as if she was gearing up for another go, Rekkah spoke first. "I understand waking up in a strange place. It happened to me not that long ago. And while I'm not sure how you ended up in the Temple of Sacred Ashes, I'm willing to extend my trust to you." Her silver blue eyes turned to ice. "But understand this Commander Kyleen Shepard; during your stay in Skyhold you are under _my_ command. I cannot, will not, have you undermining my authority within my own organization. And if you choose not to join our cause, you still must abide by our laws while in Skyhold."

She was pleased to note that Shepard kept her eyes on her face the whole time she was speaking. Too many dismissed her as just a dwarf under the thumb of her human advisors. And Rekkah refused to be _just_ the figurehead of the Inquisition. She _would_ wield the power the humans had given her. And woe to those that thought her a puppet.

"I understand Inquisitor Rekkah Cadash. I'm not sure just who or what you're fighting, but if it's anything like the war I just left, you'll need all the help you can get. I will follow your lead, but I need _you_ to understand that if you try to make me to do anything too dishonorable, I will be forced to kill you when I leave for my ship." Shepard's eyes were just as cold as Rekkah's as the two women stared at each other.

The tension sang through the room. Cassandra and Cullen shifted uneasily, hands resting on sword hilts. Leliana, Rekkah knew, had a throwing knife out and held at the ready. Josephine gulped and began edging away from the table.

Rekkah laughed, causing her advisors all to jump at the sudden bark of sound. Shepard gave her a crooked grin. "I think we'll get along just fine Shepard."

She turned away from the war table, gesturing for the newest member of her Inquisition to join her as she left the room. Shepard fell into step next to her, easily matching her longer stride to Rekkah's shorter one.

"So now that that's out of the way, how would you like to go on a trip to a corpse infested swamp to help me get some of my scouts back from the Avvar?" Neither woman looked back at the stunned advisors as the heavy door shut behind them.

"A swamp? Why would I want to go to a swamp? And why would a swamp be infested with corpses?" Shepard wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I can barely tolerate being grounded as it is. Being forced to deal with weather and" she glanced through a darkened doorway and there was a _definite_ curl to her lips as she spotted a large rat lurking in the stairwell leading down to the lower hall "rodents of unusual size?"

Rekkah glanced at the 'rodent' in question and just shrugged. "Eh, that one's not that big. Remind me to have some mousers brought into Skyhold." She continued into the great hall, heading towards the Undercroft. "Now, about that trip to the swamp?"

Shepard scrubbed at her face, hiding her expression as she glanced around the rubble strew room. "Sure, why not. It will give me a chance to see more of the area."

"Great. Let me introduce you to our quartermaster and the head blacksmith. They'll get you outfitted for the trip." She shot the taller woman a grin as she opened the door leading down into the area that Harritt had claimed as his own. "Of course from what I've heard, you've already met Threnn."

"Threnn? Oh, the woman with the sword. Good fighter, keeps a cool head during a crisis. NCO material that one. I take it she's the quartermaster?"

"The one in the same. Through I think I'll switch her to dealing primarily with our troops. She can be a bit of a hard-ass and most nobles require a more delicate touch when swindling supplies and coin out of them. Josephine has someone lined up that has the connections and the light touch needed for dealing with them."

"You say 'nobles' the same way I say 'politicians.'" Shepard noted, approval and humor in her voice.

"I'm almost positive they're one and the same Shepard."

They headed down the stairs, Rekkah leading the way. She could hear Harritt's voice over the fall of the waterfall. From what she could make out, he was talking to someone about the proper setup of his forge area. She approved. The last thing Rekkah wanted was for Skyhold to burn down around her ears because someone placed a forge in the wrong spot. The Clans would never let her live it down.

Entering the wide open area that was the Undercroft, Rekkah spotted Harritt at the far end of the room next to the waterfall. He was in the middle of control chaos as workers and blacksmiths worked to get the forge equipment set up to his specifications. She headed towards him, ignoring the muttered "Where the hell did the waterfall come from?" emerging from behind her as Shepard stopped to take everything in. She had noticed that tendency in most veteran fighters. They never entered a new room without first stopping and finding all the exits and potential hiding spots. Since she did the same thing (she was just more subtle about it) she slowed her pace until the other woman caught up with her.

"Harritt!" She called when she was close enough for him to hear her over the chaos.

"Inquisitor Cadash." He bowed his head towards her before beckoning for them to follow him to a slightly quieter area to one side of the room. "What can I do for you ma'am?"

"Harritt this is Serah Shepard," she decided to leave the woman's title of commander alone for now. It could only cause confusion until ranks were worked out between Shepard and Cullen. "She's going to be joining me and my team in the Fallow Mire and needs arms and armor. And after you're done with her, send her on to Threnn for the rest of her supplies."

"Understood Inquisitor."

Rekkah left the two of them to work out just what Shepard would need, and headed back to tend to her own duties that had to be resolved before she could take herself and the others off to the Fallow Mire. She was _not_ looking forward to the trip. She hated the smell of decomposing muck and Ancestors knew it got into absolutely everything! Damn the Avvar for making her go into a swamp. Her good mood spoiled by thoughts of mire muck in unmentionable places, Rekkah headed back to the war room.

* * *

Dawn was still a distant promise lighting the eastern sky when Shepard made her way towards the stables. It had been over fifteen years since she had been on a horse and she was not looking forward to the riding again. Her entire riding experience consisted of one summer's worth of riding with her cousins over the Texas landscape. She hadn't been happy about learning to ride, but the twins had dared her, bragging that no mere _spacer_ could keep up with them. _And I felt obligated to prove them wrong_.

The twins had dragged her over the worst terrain they could find. She hadn't even enjoyed riding with them, mostly because the horse she had been given to ride had known, _known!_ that she hadn't wanted to be there. And that damn horse had done its best to kill her over the course of the summer. She had been bucked off three times, dumped more than she could count, and had her left foot stepped on often enough to develop a permanent bruise. But the real kicker had been when she had broken her arm in three places, along with a dislocated shoulder, when she had tried to jump that damn horse over a broken fence. When her grandmother had demanded to know why she done it, all she could do was shrug and say "They double dared me to." The matriarch of the Kincaid family had _not_ been amused.

Grandfather had just sighed and shaken his head, muttering that stubbornness was part of the female genetic line of the family, while the twins had tried to look innocent of any and all wrong doing. To be fair, they _had_ been sorry she'd broken her arm, but not enough to apologize for goading her in the first place. And when she'd had to comm her parents and tell them what had happened, the lecture she had gotten had left her ears burning for days.

 _And what did the twins do? They laughed_. It had taken years before she had forgiven them that summer spent in hell. Still, Shepard hoped Liam and Luke were safe and well. She knew that Luke and her Uncle Thomas had been working on the Crucible project, and Liam had been in London fighting alongside Anderson. He had been part of that final, desperate dash. She pushed thoughts of her family away. Now was not the time to dwell on what ifs. She had a new squad to meet, and the hell of horseback riding to look forward too.

Entering the stable, she saw three other people along with Cadash helping the stable hands get the horses saddled and ready. She stopped, unsure of where she should go. One of stable boys saw her and trotted over. "Serah Shepard?" He asked. When she nodded gave her a brief bow and gestured for her to follow him. He led her to an unclaimed mount, one that had a calm look in (Shepard gave the horse's nether regions a quick glance) his eyes. "This is Jacek. He's a five year old Dalish All-Bred gelding. " The stable boy gave her a puzzled look as she glared at the horse. "You do know how to ride don't you?"

"Yes, I know who to ride; I just haven't been on a horse since I was thirteen." Shepard extended her hands, letting the gelding sniff them before running her fingers over his tack and finding the itchy spot all horses seemed to have. He snorted and rubbed his head against her chest, nosing her pockets in search of any treats she might be hiding from him.

Seeing that she at least knew how to make friends with her mount, the boy left to fetch the horse's equipment. He helped her saddle him, making sure she knew the proper way to do so, before distributing her gear in the saddlebags. It took a while before both she and the stable boy where satisfied with the Jacek's equipment, and she waved away the lad's offer of assistance with mounting. She doubted the youth would have the strength to help her, and if she couldn't even get in the saddle on her own, she had no business going anywhere on a horse.

Cadash and three others were waiting for her by the main gate. She nodded her head in greeting to the medic whose name still escaped her, smiled warmly at Cole and then turned to the Inquisitor and the bearded man that rode next to her.

"Shepard I don't think you've met Warden Blackwall." The woman gestured to the man with the very bushy black beard. He had a shield strapped to his back, and a sword belted at his waist. Heavy chainmail armor covered him from head to toe, with a blue and white motif of some sort of animal proudly displayed on both shield and surcoat.

Shepard eyed Warden Blackwall's beard with fascination. Alliance regulations stated men had to be either clean shaven or keep any or all facial hair trimmed so that breathers could fit and suction properly to their faces. As a consequence she had never seen a beard quite so . . . prominent before in her life.

"Warden Blackwall." She bowed her head in greeting and he returned the gesture.

"Lady Shepard." He had a deep voice, fitting well with his image of knight in shining armor. Somber dark blue eyes regarded her from under heavy black brows, and his face had the weathered look of a man that spent most of his time out of doors. The last man she had seen with a face like that had been her grandfather, and he had been a noted rancher and horseman all his life.

"Just Shepard please," She gave him a slight smile. "As many would be happy to tell you, I am no lady."

"Shepard it is then. And you may call me Blackwall."

When Cadash cleared her throat, Shepard turned her attention back to the Inquisitor. "And this is Solas. I don't know if you remember him, but he help heal you after the attack on Haven. He was also responsible for your care when you were found in the Temple of Sacred Ashes." She gestured to the medic and now Shepard knew why his name had eluded her. It had brought back too many painful memories.

Solus. Solas. How strange that she would know two men both dedicated to healing others, bearing essentially the same name. This Solas was a slender man, almost gaunt looking with sharp facial features and hooded blue-grey eyes. He was bald and his ears tapered to a sharp point as they arched back. He wore leather and cloth leggings with armored protection in the form of metal gauntlets and grieves. A fur draped over his shoulders complete the look. Shepard almost expected the caption of 'barbarian shaman' to appear above him.

"Serah Shepard." The . . . elf? Shepard decided to go ahead and use the term elf until she learn what the polite term for his race was, nodded his head towards her gravely. He had a solemn air about him that reminded her of Thane at his most reserved. "I have many questions for you and no doubt you have just as many for me. Your arrival in Haven was almost as dramatic as the Inquisitor's own."

"Please, just Shepard. And if you have any idea how I ended up here, I would love to know."

"Indeed. We shall learn much from each other I'm sure." The two studied each other before turning back to Cadash.

"And last but not least is Cole. You are already well acquainted with him I believe." The short woman smiled, the cold ice of her eyes warming as she looked at the strange boy sitting uneasily on his horse.

"Rekkah, why do I have to ride a horse?" He looked imploring at her from under his floppy hat. "I've never need a horse before. He doesn't like me being on his back."

Cadash sighed and rubbed her eyes. "You don't have to ride the horse the whole way to the Mire as long as you can keep up. But we're keeping him with us just in case. And I want you riding with us at least part of each day."

"Why"

"Because you need to socialize with more than just Solas, Varric and I, and making people forget you after speaking with them is _not_ socializing."

Shepard wondered at that comment. Cole could make people forget him? She didn't know of any biotics that could do that, though the Leviathans' orbs had caused those around them to lose track of memories, and in one mining colony's case, years of memories. But Cole was human. At least he looked human and Shepard had no problem recalling every moment she had spent in his company. Maybe his trick only worked on those without biotics?

"But I spend plenty of time in the tavern. Everyone smiling, singing, sighs of sensation coming from below." He paused, frowning under the brim of his hat. "How can The Iron Bull be happy and sad at the same time? It makes him happy to make the serving women sigh but he's sad too."

"Cole that is a private matter," Solas rebuked the boy gently. "The Iron Bull's feelings are his own, and are not to be discussed in public."

Shepard couldn't help but snicker to herself. If they thought dealing with Cole was bad, they should try dealing with a hormonal teenage krogan. Grunt had done a lot of growing up his first year on the _Normandy_.

"Enough." Cadash's tone said she was done with the discussion. "We have a long way to go, so let's be about it." With that she spurred her horse through the main gate and started across the bridge. Blackwall followed close at her heals and Shepard came after. Solas and Cole trailed behind them, Cole still asking Solas why some thoughts were private and not others.

Shepard grinned. She still wasn't looking forward to this trip. It involved weather and most likely rodents of unusual size and there was a swamp in her future. But the banter between Cadash and her companions kept her from missing her own squad too much. At least that was what she told herself as she followed the Inquisitor down the mountain path with the dawn at her heels.

 **Notes:**

Thank you to everyone who's commented, followed and favorited this story. It really brightens my day every time I get that notification in my email. I apologize for taking so long in posting a new chapter, but due to medical issues in my family, I just haven't had time to write. Thank you for sticking with me. I don't know when I'll be able to post another chapter, but I'm in this till the end. Even if that takes a while. Thank you to everyone again.


	10. Down Among the Dead Men

That first day was hell. It had been a long time since Shepard had ridden a horse, and while she still remembered how, her leg and thigh muscles had definitely forgotten. They had only stopped for brief breaks to rest the horses and to take care of personal business, and by the time Cadash called a stop for the night, Shepard was in agony.

She gratefully climbed out of her saddle, and then just stood there, trying to coax her legs into working properly. She was not about to hobble around camp like an old woman. Finally, her legs decided to cooperate and she unloaded her gear from Jacek's saddlebags and dumped them in a pile alongside everyone else's.

She helped with the camp setup where and how she could, but her efforts were more hindrance than help to the experienced quartet of traveling companions. To be useful, Shepard assisted Blackwall with the mounts while Cadash disappeared into the surrounding woods with a short bow in her hand. Cole and Solas seemed to be focused on getting the tents up and starting a small cook fire.

She was in the middle of checking the hoofs of Solas' mount when Blackwall casually handed her a small stone jar. "I find that this is good for sore muscles after a long ride." He gave her a quick smile, "For both man and beast." Shepard took the small jar, trying to hide just how relieved she was, and thanked the warden before she turned back to her own task. _Always care for your mount first_. Her grandfather's words rang in her ears as she worked. _Even if you're dead on your feet, you take care of your horse before anything else. Else you won't have a horse for long._ Tending the ranch horses alongside her grandfather had been one of her favorite chores as a child. As they'd worked, he'd told stories of his own childhood, making the time fly. Shepard's eyes misted over for a moment before she banished thoughts of family to the back of her mind.

Cadash returned just before dusk with a small animal which she called a nug that she'd field dressed. It was furless, but with suede-like hide, and looked like a weird mix of mole, rabbit, and pig. It also had human like hands, which disturbed Shepard more than she was willing to admit to, even to herself. Solas took over butchering the carcass, and soon the smell of roasting meat chased away her misgivings. Hunger almost always won over nerves with her. Looking around the camp, she saw that all the others were occupied with other tasks, so she offered to watch the meal.

Solas thanked her, handing over control of the makeshift spit and headed off to a nearby stream to wash. Before she could do more than touch the spit, Cole appeared for in front of her and said in a very firm tone "No. I will."

"I am perfectly capable of keeping the meat from burning Cole." The others turned from their own camp chores, watching with a great deal of amusement as she tried to reason with the boy.

"No." He shook his head. "You're not allowed to cook anymore. Mess Sergeant Gardner and James and Garrus and Ashley and Tali and Liara and Kasumi and Joker and EDI all said so."

"Wait," Shepard narrowed her eyes. "Why would Garrus and Tali say that? They can't even eat what I cook." The traitors.

"You broke the kitchen. EDI told Tali and Garrus. And EDI told Garrus to keep you away from the mess hall." He gave her one of his sweet, almost hesitant smiles. "She doesn't want you to burn down the ship."

"I did not break the kitchen!" Shepard fumed. Okay so maybe she wasn't the best cook in the galaxy, and she may have burned water before . . . and there was that time she'd set off the fire suppression system . . . but that was no reason for her whole crew (including her ship!) to ban her from cooking! She glared at Cole. "I can watch the meat Cole. And technically it's a cook fire, not a kitchen. Therefore EDI has no say in the matter."

Cole thought this over for a few moments before he solemnly shook his head again, that floppy hat of his emphasizing the movement. Then the young man grinned at her, delight and mischief sparkling in those sky blue eyes of his. "It will be alright. Solas can teach you not to burn water."

At those words the rest of the group lost it. Cadash and Blackwall all but collapsed with laughter, while Solas at least showed some restraint. He turned away to hide his chuckles.

It was after everyone had eaten and they were sitting around the fire that Shepard brought up one of the many questions that had been plaguing her for the past few weeks. It was one of the many, but it was also the most urgent to her thinking.

"Inquisitor, I asked this of Dorian when I first woke up after the attack on Haven and he couldn't answer so I'll ask it of you: How the hell did I get here, and how the hell did I survive?"

Cadash turned to her, the light from the fire playing across her face and highlighting the blue tattoos that adorned it. _No,_ Shepard mused, _not Jack. Garrus. Her facial tattoos remind me of Garrus' clan markings._ Resolutely she pushed thoughts of Garrus out of her mind. That way lay madness.

The other woman cocked her head, considering what she should say. "It was in the middle of the night when you appeared." She said at last. "I was unable to sleep, and was up studying the Breach and thinking. Trying to make sense of what had happened at Therinfal Redoubt. Cole had been keeping me company." She paused, clearly thinking over the events of that night. "I had just been about to turn in when Cole suddenly started to talk about being sorry and that something was changing. That was when the Breach turned blood red and Cole vanished on me." She shot a slightly annoyed look at the boy.

Cole just ducked his head, his hat providing cover. "I had to reach Shepard." He mumbled. "She was hurting."

Cadash just sighed and turned back to Shepard. "Not knowing what else to do, I gathered some people, Solas included, and was about to set off for the Temple of Sacred Ashes when the Breach went back to its normal green color."

"Hold on." Shepard held up one hand. "What the hell is this Breach you keep talking about? I know I've heard other speak of it, but no one can explain exactly what it is to my satisfaction."

The Inquisitor gestured up towards the night sky. The two moons were riding low in the sky; countless stars glimmered and gleamed in their unfamiliar patterns. "There. You can still see the scar from where the Breach used to be." Shepard looked to where she was pointing. Just below a particular bright cluster of stars was a mass of . . . something. She'd taken it to be a distant galaxy or an unusual nebula formation, and had paid it no particular mind during her nightly star watching.

"What the hell happened to cause that?" she demanded.

"There is a barrier between this reality and the reality of dreams and spirits. In some places that barrier is weak and in others strong, and tears can occur if that fabric is stressed by either magic, strong and prolonged emotions, or many violent and sudden deaths." Solas spoke up; his voice taking on a lecturing quality that reminded her of Mordin at his best. "The Breach was a sudden and violent tear in that barrier between the Fade and our own reality. I am not sure exactly who or what caused this fissure, but it was massive release of magic and energy. That is the only explanation I can find to explain such a terrible occurrence. And due to both the size and the suddenness of the tear, many spirits were torn from their own reality and forced through to this one."

Solas stopped his lecture, studied her for a moment, then "You have no knowledge of what I speak of, do you?" he asked gently.

"I think I get the general idea. So what you're sayings is that someone or something released the energy equivalent of a star going supernova, creating a black hole that linked these two realities. This in turn caused the Fade, which according to you is this other reality, to experience explosive decompression." Shepard scrubbed at her face. "I'm not sure how that is even possible. I wish Mordin or Liara, or hell even Legion was here. They could probably understand it a hell of a lot more than I can." Shit. If these people could somehow create a black hole on demand . . . the thought made her ill.

Solas hummed thoughtfully. "Your words are unknown to me, but I believe that you have the general idea. We will have to discuss the matter further at a later date."

She nodded her head in agreement, mostly just to stop another lecture, then looked over at Cadash and asked her to continue her story.

"There's not much else to tell. When we arrived up at the summit, we found you buried under a massive pile of steel and stone. The stone I know had come from the remains of the temple itself, but I never could figure out where the steel came from." She waved her hand dismissively before continuing.

"Anyway Cole decided to show back up, and he pointed out where you were pinned under the rubble. We were able to drag you out and Solas and Stiches, that's the Chargers' healer, were able to get you stable enough for transport back down to Haven."

Once again, Solas took up the tread of the story. "From what I can tell, something caused another massive energy wave, and that, combined with the Veil already weakened by Breach, was what allowed you to travel from wherever you where, through the Fade itself, and out of the Breach."

He watched her, eyes grave in the firelight. "Tell me Kyleen Shepard, what happened just before you came here?"

The silence that fell over the group was thick with tension. Cadash had heard only the briefest of after action reports about the events that had brought her here and Shepard found she was hesitant to share more. It was if she spoke about what had happened, it would make it real, make this _place_ real, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

She licked lips that had suddenly gone dry, and forced her mouth open, but what came out wasn't about the events aboard the Crucible. "Did you find anyone else in the rubble?" She looked up to meet Cadash's silver-blue eyes, her own green-grey pleading.

The Inquisitor's eyes softened and she shook her head. "No. We had to remove the rubble from the summit before attempting to close the Beach and we found no other bodies. Only broken stone and melted steel."

She looked away, avoiding Cadash's compassionate gaze. "I had hoped that perhaps Anderson . . ." She fell silent, grief clogging her throat at the thought of Anderson lost aboard the Crucible.

"He was proud of you." Cole's soft voice broke through the uncomfortable silence. "There at the end of all things. He pushes himself up, looks at her sitting next to him. Feels the blood falling from his side, but that's alright. The task is done. Painful, prideful, peaceful. See the stars shine a breath away. 'You did good, child. You did good. I'm proud of you.' Her voice whispers back through the empty dark. 'Thank you, Sir.'"

Shepard could feel the blood draining from her face. There was no way Cole could have known about that conversation. The last one she'd ever have with her C.O. "Cole? What the hell?"

"He loved you. Jonathan's daughter, but his too. He was so proud of you." Cole stopped as her distress registered with him. "That made it worse. I will do better next time." He raised his hand towards Shepard.

"NO!" Cadash and Solas spoke as one. Cole recoiled, lowering his hand. The two looked at each other and Cadash spoke again. "I've told you this before Cole. You cannot go around taking people's memories." Her voice gentled. "Yes you upset Shepard, but memories make us who we are. They are a part of us for good or ill."

"But I hurt her." The strange boy's distress echoed from the rushed words.

"Cole." The boy turned towards the biotic, shoulders hunched as if to ward off a blow. "It's alright. Yes, remembering Anderson's death hurts. But I wouldn't trade those memories for anything."

He relaxed, and one blue eye peeked out from underneath his hat. "I'm sorry I made you hurt. I just wanted to help."

Shepard sighed, looking down to hide the tears that threaten to spill down her face. "I know," she said, her voice roughened with grief. "I'll take first watch if no one minds." A watery laugh escaped before she could stop it. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep anytime soon."

The others voiced their agreement, and vanished into the tents. Cole was the only one who stayed behind, but he said nothing. And that was enough for Shepard, at least for this particular moment in time.

That night set the pattern for the following evenings. Cadash hunted to supplement the trail rations they'd brought with them. Blackwall and Shepard tended to the horses and set up the tents. Solas, after one failed attempt to teach Shepard campfire cooking, took command of the cook-fire. (After which he also forbid her from ever cooking again.) And Cole, well he came and went as he pleased, but would often pass the night with whomever was on watch.

So far it had been one of the more pleasant missions Shepard had been on in a very long time. Even that most fickle part of being planet-side, the weather, was cooperating. It was early spring in this part of the Thedas, and the days were pleasantly warm and the night's cold enough that the group welcomed the fire.

All that changed the further south they went. Those pleasantly warm days disappeared into a steady rain that soaked into every bit of dry clothing they had. The terrain went from rugged foothills into marshy flatlands as they approached the swamp. By the time the Mire proper came into view a little over a week after they'd left Skyhold, Shepard was quite seriously questioning her own sanity in agreeing to come to this god forsaken place.

Of course she'd been questioning her sanity since the moment she'd woken up in that church alive and relatively in one piece. But the fact that she _was_ alive (as far as she could tell) was yet another item on the "What the hell?!" list that she was vehemently _not_ thinking about. Not yet, and certainly not here and now.

Damn, she was cold. Not the cold of deep space that could kill in an instant. No this was a cold that seeped slowly into your blood and bones until you believed that you'd never be warm again. She'd never felt colder, not even on Noveria traipsing through that blizzard from hell. She was also wet to the skin, and by the look of the sky the rain wasn't stopping anytime this century. _Why the hell did I agree to come on this mission again?_

Cole leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You wanted to see more of the area." Shepard sighed. Cole just didn't seem to understand sarcasm.

They had just reached the edge of the swamp, and a group scouts were waiting patiently in the rain to give Cadash their report. None of _them_ seemed overly bothered by the cold and wet. Well they probably were bothered; they just hid it better.

"Welcome to the Fallow Mire, Inquisitor" the speaker was a short woman, she seemed to be a hair shorter than Cadash, with light brown hair done up in an intricate braid, bright green eyes, and freckles dusted all over her face. She seemed the very young to Shepard, but that had been happening more and more as the war had progressed. "Thank you for coming. Maybe you can solve this mess. Our missing patrols are being held hostage by Avvar. Barbarians from the mountains."

Keeping part of her attention on conversation between Cadash and her scout, Shepard turned her gaze to the swamp spreading out before her. The group was camped on the edge of the marshland, and she could see wooden walkways extending out into the water. Bits of weathered wooden buildings stuck up out of the mire like old bones, and what looked like bodies floated lazily in the stagnant waterways.

"What are they doing in a bog?" Cadash asked. It was a good question; especially if these people normally stuck to mountainous areas.

"That's the thing. Their leader . . . he wants them to fight you. Because you're the Herald of Andraste." Who the hell was this Andraste and why was everyone calling Cadash her herald? She'd been assuming it was the local deity at first, but people also spoke of a maker so . . . Shepard really needed to sit down with someone and get an overview of the local situation. The sooner the better. Shaking her head to rid herself of non-mission critical thoughts, she went back to surveying the land.

What she wouldn't give to still have that floating tin can that Cerberus had "given" to her. The Hammerhead's armor had been made of tissue paper and the inertial dampers nonexistent, but at least it would have kept her and Cadash's squad out of both the swamp muck and the weather. _And while I'm wishing for the Hammerhead, let's add proper ablative ceramic armor and a decent heavy pistol to the list. I wouldn't even object to a crappy Hahne-Kedar model. Anything would be better than this_.

 _This_ was the compromise reached between Shepard and Harritt which had taken over an hour to achieve. Neither was truly happy, but at least it hadn't come to blows. Harritt had decided that since Shepard was a "mage", she should wear what the other mages in Cadash's Inner Circle wore. To her horror, this consisted of fancy cloth and leather clothing for both Dorian and someone named Madame Vivienne (whom Shepard had not yet met) and fur and fabric for Solas. This was in no way shape or form acceptable to Shepard. She was _not_ about to wear fabric into battle. Not a chance in hell. She didn't care how expensive or fancy the fabric was, it would _never_ happen.

When Harritt had demanded to know what kind of armor Shepard normally wore, she'd been more than happy to tell him, through trying to explain ablative ceramic armor that had kinetic shielding and an advanced medical interface integrated into it had proven frustrating for them both. In the end they'd compromised. He'd given in on the fancy fabric armor and she'd given up on her dream of a set of N7 armor appearing from an emergency air drop in the center of the courtyard.

Her armor now consisted of a cuirass made from a light, but surprisingly strong (for the medieval setting) metal called silverite. It covered her torso, ending just past her hips. This protected her vital organs, but also gave her the ability to maneuver easily. Pauldrons and gauntlets made of the same metal protected her shoulders and forearms. She'd grudgingly gotten boots and greaves to complete the medieval version of her armor. It was somewhat heavier than the medium weight armor that she favored and nowhere near as strong, but beggars couldn't be choosers. At least it wasn't made of fabric.

Shepard had just been about to leave the Undercroft with her new gear in hand when Harritt had asked what type of staff she preferred. She'd just stared at him, nonplussed at the question. What the hell would she need a staff for? After taking in her blank look, the blacksmith had directed her attention to a row of wooden and metal staffs leaning against one wall. "Well," he'd asked in a gruff voice. "Which one will it be?" It had taken another hour for them to come to an agreement about a weapon for her use.

After another heated discussion with the smith, Shepard had taken a hunting knife along with a boot knife, but had firmly refused the offered staff. Quarter staff had never been one of the skills she'd learned at the Villa. She had her biotics and the knife would suffice for any close quarter combat. But she wasn't about to carry a weapon she didn't know how to use properly. That was just asking for trouble. Knives, well Shepard knew how to use knives. She'd actually learned knife fighting when she was fifteen from another N7 just after her father had been killed. It had never been anything she'd discussed with her mother, but everyone on the ship had turned a blind eye towards the lessons. She'd needed an outlet for her grief and anger, and Sergeant Heisman had been more than happy to teach her.

"Getting to our troops won't be easy. You'll have to fight your way through undead -" that brought her attention back to the conversation going on behind her. She turned her back on the swamp, focusing on Cadash and the scout. The scout had a slight smirk on her face as she finished her question. "Wait . . . you're not squeamish about undead are you?"

Cadash just shrugged. "They're only corpses possessed by spirits." Again, what the hell? Did they mean husks? Shit if there were husks here, that meant active Collector or Reaper tech nearby. She brought her arm up in automatic reflex to run a scan for any active power sources, and then swore in Krogan. She kept forgetting that her Omni-tool was missing.

The scout gave her superior a strange look, the smirk disappearing from her face. "Right. Nothing to fear." She was quite for a moment before finishing her briefing. "The Avvar are holed up in a castle on the other side of the Fallow Mire. Maker willing, the Inquisition's people are still alive."

Cadash nodded a dismissal, turning to join the rest of them waiting a short distance away. She pointed towards a pile of burning bodies. "Look. Signs of a plague."

"It must have been a terrible illness." Solas' voice was soft. "No one's come to reclaim the land."

"No one living at any rate." Cadash turned away, heading towards the wooden pier leading out into the swamp.

Cole drifted up to stand next to Shepard as she moved to follow the Inquisitor. "They died faster than the villagers could burn them. Then no one was left to burn."

"That's true of most plagues. Omega was the same way."

"But Mordin healed Omega. And you helped. You put the healing in the air. Swirling softly down, spreading, giving back what was stolen by the broken ones."

She smiled sadly at the boy. "Omega will never be truly healed. But it did get a little healthier after Archangel and Mordin got through with it." _Not that it lasted. Damn Cerberus. And damn Aria for letting Omega get that bad in the first place._ "Come on Cole, let's not fall behind."

"The mud wants my feet to stay." Cole pulled his boots free of the mud and followed the others into the swamp.

Cadash and Blackwall were on point, Solas holding the center while Cole and Shepard played rear guard. Just as Cadash's boots hit the edge of the water a pair of husks emerged from the murky water. Unearthly moans echoed out of their mouths as they shambled towards the group on the shore.

Instinct honed from countless battles over the last few years had Shepard tossing a warp before she had truly registered that what she thought were husks were something else altogether. The concentrated orb of dark energy hit the husk-like creature on the right just as she moved to engage the remaining husk. Before she could form another warp, a pyro blast struck the husk, causing it to burst into flames before falling to lay on the soggy ground.

She turned to see Solas standing in a fighting stance. He had his staff clasped loosely in his right hand, angled so as to deflect an incoming blow, while his left hand was raised palm out. What caused her eyebrow to shoot up was the fact that flames were twining around his hand like a friendly cat.

Well, that was new.

She couldn't see any sign of an Omni-tool, or any other tech that would be capable of producing a pyro blast. _How the hell is he doing that?_

"Interesting." Solas flipped his staff so that it was once more attached to his back. Shepard frowned as the fact that none of them had a magnetic base to hold their weapon to their armor hit her. How the hell was he keeping that staff in place? She had been assuming that he'd been using a leather sling or holder like the rest of the group, but the staff was just hanging there.

"What manner of magic are you using? It seems similar to an arcane bolt, but I felt no mana being extended."

Shepard scowled at him. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm a biotic. I generate and control dark energy using nodules found all along my spinal column and nerves. There's no 'mana' involved."

The elf returned her scowl. "All mages use mana."

"Again, not a mage. I'm an Alliance Marine N7 Biotic Adept. I don't use mana. I don't even know what mana is." She flared her biotics, letting the energies expand around her like a mantle. She was getting damn tired of being called a mage all the time. Local customs be damned.

"Mana is the measurement of a mage's connection to the Fade. It is what allows us to manipulate both the physical and the mental. If you are not a mage, one wonders how you are controlling your power."

They stared at each other from across the clearing, neither giving an inch. The stalemate was broken what Cadash cleared her throat.

"If you two don't mind, we do have some scouts to retrieve." She stood at her ease, resting her weight on one hip, arms crossed in front of her while taping the toe of one booted foot. Blackwall stood next to her, amusement lurking in his dark blue eyes and Cole, well Cole just looked confused.

"Ah, apologies Inquisitor. I will not let my curiosity get in the way of our mission again." Solas moved away from Shepard, walking past the two rogues and the warden to stand at the start of one of the wooden walkways extending out into the swamp.

Shepard watched him go. Something about that encounter had left her on edge. In that instance Solas had reminded her of Admiral Xen confronted with Legion for the first time. It was not a comfortable feeling. She would need to be careful with him. Shoving her unease to the back of her mind, she turned to look at the "husks" that had started the whole mess.

They were lying on the edge of the clearing near where Solas stood waiting. She kept one eye on him as she knelt on the muddy ground to better study the creatures. The one that she had hit with her warp was still mostly intact, while the one that Solas had taken out with his pyro blast was a smoldering heap.

She looked at the first one. It was a human corpse; one that showed signs of extensive decomposition, but also had indications that the bog had partial preserved the body. Apart from the gaping hole in the torso left from her warp, there was no obvious sign of injury to show how he had died. She reached out and gently ran her gauntlet covered hands over the corpse. Finding no indications of the nanites that powered the husks she had been fighting for years, she angled the body to be able to peer into the chest cavity.

Nothing.

"Not a husk." She couldn't hide the relief that filled her voice at that moment. She wasn't sure she was up to facing down another Reaper. Not after that last, soul-shearing fight on Earth and whatever had happened there at the end aboard the Crucible. Not that that would stop her if she had too, but she at least wanted proper armor and weapons first. She hoped that the lack of husks meant that the Reapers were gone for good, but she just couldn't be sure with her memory of what had happened patchy at best.

But if this wasn't a husk, what was it? And how was it up and moving? She sat back on her heels, staring down at the husk-like thing in puzzlement. The others stood around her, watching her in equal puzzlement. _They probably think I'm crazy,_ she thought. _And they might not be wrong._

"Shepard?" Cadash lightly touched her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

The biotic stood up, her movements graceful despite the uncertain footing. She looked down at Cadash, relief and puzzlement warring in her eyes. "When the scout said walking corpses, I thought she meant husks. But the only thing here is a dead human body. No sign of Collector or Reaper tech." The relief of that knowledge, of being able to put down the burden of the Reapers, at least for now, made her what to jump for joy. Not that she ever would. That would be highly undignified. "From the rate of decomposition, I'd say he's been dead at least a month, if not longer. So how the hell was this thing up and moving?"

"The Veil is thin here." Solas' voice had that steady cadence that Shepard already knew meant he was about to lecture her, again. "Spirits and demons can easily slip past and occupy the deceased. They are drawn to strong emotions, and dying can be very emotional experience. And so they slip into the body as the original soul departs. But this side of the Veil is very different from the Fade. The emotional residue that is left can drive a spirit to forget its purpose and all that is left is rage and despair. Hence the spirit bound corpse attacked when the water was disturbed."

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about." These people were really caught up on the whole possession thing. She supposed it was no worse than worrying about indoctrination.

"Truly?" Shepard could almost _see_ the glee filling his eyes as he spoke. "I would be more than happy to explain in further detail. What was it that you did not understand?" If he started to rub his hands together in anticipation, she was dumping his ass into the swamp. "We could start with a basic explanation of spirits. . ."

"Later," Cadash interrupted him before he could continue. "You can lecture Shepard on spirits and the Fade later. _After_ we get out of the swamp." She fixed the apostate with a firm glare.

He sighed in disappointment, but agreed with a nod of his head.

Cadash turned and lead the way back onto the wood walkway. Shepard came forward to join her on point while Blackwall fell back to cover their rear with Cole and Solas centered between the two groups. "Come on, that keep is on the other end of the swamp. And be careful," The Inquisitor nodded towards the corpses, "There must be more further in."

Shepard barked out a short laugh, the sound harsh "There's always more. Damn husks or corpses you'd call them, come out of the woodwork like roaches." She looked around at the swamp, her expression bleak. "And then I remember that they used to be alive, with families and hopes and wishes and dreams, and I want to weep for the dead and those that must kill them again and again."

"Isn't that the truth?" Blackwall agreed his voice gruff. "You have to put that away when you're in the thick of it, but after, after you look around the battlefield at the dead and the dying and you wonder what the point was if the only thing left after the fighting is death.

"You have both seen a great deal of battle." Solas spoke in a matter of fact tone.

"We all have." Blackwall turned to eye the mage, black brows scowling under his helm.

The group had paused on a small island where Shepard could see a small house standing forlornly alone, and she hopped the inhabitants had been able to escape both the swamp and the plague that had killed what had once been a thriving village.

"Not all; not like you and Shepard. " He turned to include both humans as he continued. "You both live and breathe war. You understand it. It is home to you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shepard took a step closer to the elf, her expression dark. If Solas kept this up, she was dumping his sanctimonious ass in the swamp. Blackwall would no doubt help her.

Solas' expression changed to one of remorse as he realized that he had just basically called them both warmongers, if not in so many words. "I meant no offense." He hastened to reassure them. "We have all seen terrible things. We have watched death and destruction render that which we love unrecognizable." Sadness and grief flickered briefly across his face. "It is calming to see something familiar in others."

Shepard and Blackwall shared a look and then they both inclined their head at the mage. "Come, let us continue. We won't get the scouts back standing around gossiping like fishwives." The warden shouldered his shield and moved on down the path towards a large stone monolith in the distant. The rest of the party followed after him with only the occasional comment between themselves.

As they drew close to the stone, Shepard could see a metal basket attached to one side of monolith. It seemed out of place to her, distracting from the grandeur of the stone itself. She approached, placing a hand on the stone. The cold seeped from the stone past her gauntlet and into her skin. There seemed to be a static charge to the rock and as she pulled away, a small charge of static electricity followed her.

"There's something about this stone." She mused as the others spread out around her. Solas walked up and made gesture at the metal basket. Green fire leapt into life, and he gathered some to his hand.

"Indeed. Magic is thick here. We should be wary." He turned, making his way around the monolith, the green fire still cupped in his palm. He raised his hand slightly on the other side, appearing to read some marks inscribed on the stone.

A shriek echoed out through the rain soaked night. It was long and drawn out, and sent a shiver down her spine. It was a sound she had heard before. And it heralded one of her worst horrors the Reapers had yet to produce.

 _Banshee! And here I am without any heavy weapons. Damn it._ Shepard really hated banshees.

Cole looked up as the echoes faded. "It's coming. Clawing, choking, cleaving. It seeks terror to hoard as its own."

She pulled a barrier around herself and moved to place her back against Blackwall's own. Why him she wasn't sure, but she had never questioned her instincts in the middle of a fight, and she wasn't about to start now.

The warden stood with his shield out and sword held in a low ready position. The others had all readied themselves in their own fashions. Cole and Cadash had drawn their blades, and had vanished into thin air. Solas stood near Shepard and Blackwall and had his staff out with flames once more dancing in his hand.

Shepard wasn't too worried about Cole or Cadash. Cole had more than proven capably at stealth strikes at the battle in Haven, and she had no doubt the Inquisitor was just as sneaky as the kid.

The elf was the unknown. He made a quick gesture, and a blue glow not unlike her biotic barrier sprang to life around the whole group. She would need to watch him carefully, not only to watch his back and but also to better understand just how he was creating those pyro charges and barriers.

Groans filled the air as corpses emerged out of the bog, waving rusted and pitted weapons at the group around the monolith. She tossed a singularity at the largest grouping. Four of the corpses started to float lazily in the air, spinning and contorting the creatures as the dark energy did its best to compresses them down into atoms. Solas shouted and a fork of lighting came down out of the sky to strike the helpless corpses, sending them smoking to the ground.

Cadash and Cole had each appeared behind one of the corpses and had quickly dispatched their targets before activating their stealth field one again. Blackwall stood firm next to Shepard and Solas. He was an unmovable object, keeping the rare corpse that made it past the others from reaching either the mage or the biotic. The fight was well in hand and Shepard had to wonder just what the fuss was about when the banshee shrieked again.

She scanned the swamp, looking for the tell-tale blue glow and deformed visage of the Reaperized Asari. And saw nothing. No biotic glow other than her own, no tall spindly figure making its unhurried way towards its victims.

And then a green, spindly creature that looked like a cross between a Banshee and a praying mantis jumped out of the ground.

It shrieked again, and a sickly green light filled the area around the stone. It made a pulling motion and disappeared only to jump out of the ground not two meters from where she stood with Blackwall. The big man was closer and brought his shield up to block a strike from the creature and she spun around to lob a warp into its gapping maw.

The damn thing just shrugged off the attack like it was an annoying fly. Shrieking constantly now, it flung out its arms and a shockwave hit both her and Blackwall, knocking them to the ground.

Shepard swore. She threw up one hand, hitting it with a shockwave of her own. The biotic energy impacted it hard enough to through it off balance. Cole appeared along with Cadash and the two rogues both struck, sinking blade and axe deep into its exposed torso.

Then Solas was there flames extending from staff and hand as he bathed the creature in fire. Shepard vaulted to her feet and tossed three warps into the writhing mass. The shrieks intensified and then Blackwall pushed himself to his feet and ran his sword through the creatures head.

The shrieks cut off abruptly and the moans from the various corpses ceased as well. And then the damn thing dissolved into mist and ichor, leaving behind only a mass of green goo.

Well shit.

* * *

AN:

I apologies once again for the length of time between posts. My father recently past away after fighting cancer for the last few years and writing has been the last thing on my mind. I promise I am working on the story and have not abandoned it. Thank you for your understanding. I do read each and every comment and am glad that people are enjoying this tale.  
Thank you. Catann


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